The Lion and the Rose
by airbendergal
Summary: Eight Years after FFXII, Archadia and Rozarria are still at tension. For Catalina Margrace, who has lived a nearly-perfect life, things drastically change after she is forced into a political marriage with Emperor Larsa. She must now choose to either follow her father and marry a stranger from the east, or to follow her heart and to stay with her love, Leosandro Fergaza.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

My name is Catalina Margrace, and I was many things.

I was a daughter to my father, a sibling to my four sisters and a two brothers, a friend to many friends, the master of a _Rozarrian sheepdog_, but most of all I was a _princess_ of the Rozarrian Empire. Now I know what most of you are thinking. A princess is a high official, and she's not one to be valued. She has all the riches in the world and can get everything she wants in a whim. You are probably right about that. I most probably have all the riches in the empire, which I share among my other siblings, and I probably have the power to get everything I want in a whim. But riches and power are not the things that I truly value, for once, but I value my own pride and freedom. As a princess, your pride and freedom are bound to the law. Bound to the blood.

It is not easy to be a princess, I must confess. Hours of each day are scheduled for study, practice and etiquette classes. The only free time I have is from the hours of seven at night to seven in the morning, and it is barely enough for my extra-curricular activities. The activities that I engage in are painting and singing, and if there is some time to spare, I watch lords and ladies down at the Ambervale Square. But most of my free time was spent engaging in exciting discourses with my sisters and brothers. I was the eldest of the five daughters; barely seventeen years old.

My father, the Emperor Edelmiro XI, was the current head of the empire, and along with the help my eldest brother, Al-Cid Margrace, ruled Rozarria with much enthusiasm. Eight years had passed since the Great War between Archadia and Rozarria, but the aftermath of the war left a scar on our great nation. Fear was still evident in our people, and justice for those who had long since passed was greatly wanted. Edelmiro XI and Al-Cid did their best to keep the people at ease. Even though the Archadian Empire seemed to have lost the battle, the Rozarrian Empire did not win it either. The Dalmascan Resistance had intercepted our attack, our father had told us, and had struck a blow in the heart of the invasion. Nevertheless, we were glad that the war had finished. But older brother Al-Cid had said it has finished before it even began.

Our father had told us that even though the war had ended, there were still some petty quarrels between the nations of Archadia and Rozarria, and perhaps, even the small kingdoms in between them. These quarrels had lead to a difficulty in trade and communication. The Rozarrians needed Archadia's technology, and they needed our precious gems and metal ore. Al-Cid said that this could possibly spark another feud between the empires. My father, of course, agreed to that notion, and at once addressed a letter to Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor.

The respond had returned a couple of weeks. The letter from the Archadian emperor was long and expressed much remorse. He had talked of one of the many cases, in which seven Archadian nobles had been taken hostage after their airship had been hijacked. Emperor Larsa also expressed the need of open communication between the empires, and a plan that was suggested by his counselors.

"A political marriage?" I asked, shocked. "Father? Is that what they want?"

"Yes, Catalina," Edelmiro XI replied. "And this is exactly what you must do."

"F-father…my lord…my l-lord…" I said, dropping to my knees. "This cannot be! I beg of you, my father, Lord Edelmiro XI! Spare me from this marriage! I wish that my life be a happy one; one that is free from any sort of political interference!"

"And what sort of life is that, Catalina?" asked my father, as he furrowed his brow. "Do you think that as a lady of Clan Margrace, you may live your life by your own accord? The veins of hatred are deeply rooted in the hearts of our people. It is _your_ duty, as a princess, the eldest daughter of the Rozarrian royal family, to ease our people's suffering. You must never let your pride hinder your will to serve the people."

At these words I fell silent. I felt a deep pang in my chest. Such sudden news left me sleepless that night. I tossed and turned on my bed, thinking of what would become of me…what would happen to life I once dreamed of. What would happen…to the man I love?

"The Emperor Larsa Solidor agreed to a political marriage," I remember my father saying. "He thoroughly expressed his need to further the cause of peace between the empires. If a political marriage will further this cause, he wrote, he is willing to seriously consider the matter. It is not only for the sake of Archadia, but for the sake of Rozarria as well."

"Then that emperor is a fool," I replied coldly.

"Watch your tongue, Catalina!" boomed Edelmiro XI. "If you do not control that mouth of yours, you may find yourself in a very difficult situation. This behavior of yours in unacceptable! Look at this young man, Emperor Larsa is a fine example! He took up the burden of rule at the age of twelve, and now look at him! He is completely monopolizing the Archadian Empire by his own hand. "

I looked at my father. Tears started forming in my eyes. "Then…" I said in a sad tone. "What will happen to Leosandro?"

At once my father smiled. "Ah, now I know what is going on."

Lord Leosandro, one of the many lords of the Rozarrian Empire, had been courting me for about two years already. Leosandro was a brilliant and strong man, and the head of the Department of Interpersonal Connections. He had a silver tongue, a perfect face with perfect features, and a brain that could par to those of scholars. He was an extravagant and passionate man. He always told me that I was the missing piece to his shattered heart. He always complimented my raven hair and hazel eyes. He was a poetic man, and told me that every night he would look out at the brightest star and think of _Catalina_. He rarely spoke of any other woman, except for his friend named Renata. I assumed that she was a close friend of his.

"We shall see what will happen to Leosandro," my father said, folding his arms.

I wish that I could have said something more, but I realized that nothing more could be done. The crown that sat on top of my father's head, and his scepter, were the things that reminded me that I was nothing more than a mere princess. I was no empress, I was no goddess…I was simply a woman born into a rich family. And I was very much accustomed to the treatments of a woman in this society. My father was the head of the empire, and my lord. I could do nothing more than honor his wish, as the daughter of the emperor.

Al-Cid dropped by my bedchambers that evening as well. As usual, his happy-go-lucky aura filled the room with a certain joy. I always loved having Al-Cid around. He was the man who always kept me smiling. He entered the room as he usually did, without knocking. He opened the door and burst in with his arms wide open. At once he realized my sorry state and laughed.

"Catalina, what did I tell you?" he chuckled. "I told you never to frown!"

"I know, I know," I replied, forcing a faint smile. I got out of bed and stood in front of him, wiping my eyes. "I'm very sorry, big brother. I did not mean to make you upset."

"Ai-ai-ai, there is no time to be a big crybaby, Catalina!" he said, as he took my hands. "You must promise me that you will smile for me, even just this once!"

I laughed. And I smiled.

"See! What did I tell you? You will always smile when Al-Cid is around!" he exclaimed, clapping. He casually jumped onto my bed, messing up the arrangement of the pillows and sheets. "Now tell me, dearest Catalina, what bothers you?"

"Nothing." I said curtly.

"Nothing bothers you?"

"It is a secret,"

"A secret? A secret is still _something_!" Al-Cid replied. "Now go on and tell me. Something bothers you, does it not? If you tell me, then I promise to tell you a secret in return."

"Your secret?" I asked. "You'll tell me?"

"Nah, ah! Not unless you tell me that problem of yours, I will not tell you this very special secret of mine. It has been a secret that I have kept for many years of my life."

"Okay, very well…" I said, as I looked to the ceiling. "Father…he wants me…to enter a political marriage. The emperor of Archadia agrees to a political marriage, and his counselors say that it is the best way to solve the petty wars and put an end to the fear of the people. A political marriage such as this…a bond between the Rozarrian and Archadian empires would prevent another war from happening."

"Ah, yes, I have heard of that already," Al-Cid sighed.

"Then it is not a secret anymore!" A shade of red flushed across my cheeks. "You lied!"

"No more than you did, dearest Catalina."

"Then what is your secret?" I asked Al-Cid.

My brother got up from the bed and smiled cockily. He stretched his arms and yawned. It was almost midnight. At once he went to me and stroked my cheek. "A secret of mine, one which I have kept for a long time…" he told me calmly. His voice became serious and soothing. "The secret to obtaining true happiness in life…is doing what you think is right. And Catalina may you never forget this."

He kissed me in the forehead.

"Now keep on smiling…" he added, as he made his way towards the door. "You look very ugly when you cry."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Upon the order of my father, Al-Cid and I were to leave for Archades by evening. It was nine in the morning; my last day here in Ambervale. I could not help but cry when I realized I probably would never return to Rozarria. Father said I could visit, every now and then, but I would have to spend my days in some horrible, dusty palace on the other side of the world! I could not blame father, though, for he had only wanted what was best for his people. I thought very well about blaming the Archadian emperor's counselors for they had been the ones who formulated this very plan.

I would miss a lot of things: the brick roads of Ambervale, the large oak trees, sitting by the lake on a warm summer day with Mivo, my sheepdog, and the sunset. Ah, the sunset! One of the most beautiful things in Rozarria, I must confess, is the sunset. Every afternoon, the sun becomes large and orange-red, and all of the world seems to turn into a yellowish hue. The sky starts to transition into a blue, later on, and all the city lights go on one by one. And as I watch the sun sink into the sea, I think of Leosandro and how he says that his star will always be the first to appear. My words are at a lost to describe the beauty of a sunset, or even the beauty of Leosandro's words. For I would be lying if I said that Leosandro was an ordinary hume. He was no ordinary person, for my heart was his for the taking. And he had captured it.

The thing I would miss the most was my family. I would miss my four sisters, who I loved so dearly. I would miss the times we would spend together, engaging in whimsical conversations and laugh until we collapsed. I would miss my little brother, who was barely five years old, and his naïve perception of the world. I would miss father, and my mother, and my dearest brother Al-Cid. It was in my nature to overanalyze events that were to come. I feared that I would never smile again after Al-Cid would leave.

Oh, Leosandro! Why must I leave you? If only I had the power to stay here in Ambervale. I would never leave your arms. But…as a princess of Rozarria, I must come to a decision between loving you and doing what is right! Ah, cruel world! If only women were free to chose who they were to marry. I would choose Leosandro with all my heart and not a stranger from the East, not a stranger whose name I cannot even speak. The name _Larsa_ feels so misplaced on my tongue, yet it is the name that I must utter when I need to.

"Catalina, you must stop crying," my mother says, as she combs my wavy locks. She hopes to fix my hair so that I may look presentable to the emperor. "Please, you are making my heart ache as well…"

I looked back at my mother and sobbed. "Is it hard, mama? The way of life you live?"

My mother, too, had been forced into an arranged marriage with my father, Edelmiro XI.

"Well," she smiled. "Catalina, please tell me if I look happy."

"You do," I replied. "And very much."

My mother straightens my head, and now I can only see her through the reflection in the mirror in front of me. "You know, Catalina," she said as she gathered loose locks. "I am very happy with my life, and I have no regrets of marrying your father. I will always love him, and I will always love you."

"But you did not answer whether your life was hard or not," I remarked.

She vigorously brushed through my hair. "Even if life is hard, I still am happy."

"How can you be so strong, mama? How can you be so happy?"

"Strong? Hmm…well I am strong today because of my resolve. I chose to be happy, even if my life looked very dismal. And now it is time for you to make a choice, Catalina. You must make a choice, whether you will be happy or not, for the rest of your life."

"Life is full of choices, mama," Catalina sighed.

"Ey! Do not give me that look!" my mother snapped. "Remember that you are a Margrace, no matter what! And being a Margrace woman means that we will always be beautiful! If you keep on frowning, then you will end up like me, an old woman, with grey hair! Even if I have grey hair, I will always be beautiful. Hmph!"

I smiled. "You are always beautiful, mama."

Now my mother got out a box from the closet. The box was a beautiful velvety red. It had a golden ribbon on it. "Now, I have something for you, Catalina. It's one of my most precious items," she said, as she opened the box. I looked at the contents of the box and gasped. A beautiful pendant sat inside the box. It was a gorgeous, twenty-four karat gold pendant, shaped like a rose. It was adorned with rubies. "This is the necklace your father gave to me. It is a sort of betrothal necklace. And it suits you _perfectly_. A rose, just like you…" And her eyes start to get watery.

"A rose. You are a rose, Catalina," she continued. She placed the pendant around my neck, and looks at it through the mirror. "A person like you, Catalina, is just like a rose: beautiful and delicate. You started off as a small bud, and then here you are: so beautiful at full bloom. Many men are attracted to roses…and they must be careful in order not to get pricked by its thorns."

"Thank you, mama…" I say, and I hugged her. "Thank you, for everything."

That evening, after I had watched the sunset, I was ready to set out on a new journey. My mother told me that this would be a new beginning, a new start at life. I would finally be on my own, without my parents or siblings, and would be in the country of the Archadian emperor. Al-Cid and I had taken the _Kirin_ to Archades. That night I had looked up at the sky and spotted the star Leosandro had adored so much, and I thought of him. I had left without saying…goodbye. But my heart could not accept that I was to leave him forever, and I could never face him about this matter. So it was by denial that I managed to leave my homeland, and head east towards the Galtean Peninsula.

By morning, we had finally made it to the city of Archades. I was greeted by rolling hills and skyscrapers, taller than anything I have seen in my life. The city was shaped like an octagon, and the tallest building, the Imperial Palace stood high and mighty in the center of it. Archades was large, larger than Ambervale. I must confess that I loved the scenery from the air, but then I hated it as our airship berthed next to the palace.

Al-Cid and I were escorted by a man named Judge Zargabaath and a couple of imperial soldier. I found it funny, the way they talked. Their Archadian accent was very different from ours. Consonants clipped and vowels rolled. I found it funny, also how the soldiers dressed. The men were clad in metal armor, and a certain _clink_ing sound could be heard as they marched. The weather was nice and cool, compared to Ambervale. It was springtime in Archades, and the flowering trees were just starting to blossom.

"So does our not-so-very-little emperor know of our whereabouts?" asked Al-Cid.

"Yes, indeed," Judge Zargabaath replied. "And we've made accommodations for Lady Catalina's stay."

I did not speak for the whole duration of the walk. I only took in the sights and sounds of the city. I could hear the clinks and clacks of the guards' armor, the sound of a waterfall, and the soft rumble of passing airships. Zargabaath took us to the main entrance, where a couple of imperial elites greeted us with a 21-gun salute. There was a lady at the door, holding a two glasses of Archadian wine. "Welcome to the Imperial Palace, my lord and lady! Please, take some drinks…you must be exhausted from your long journey!"

Al-Cid did not hesitate to take the wine. He sipped it and grinned. "This is wonderful! Catalina, you must taste this!"

I did. But I did not find anything special in Archadian wine. It was just like any other wine that I had tasted. But I had to compliment. "It's very good…" I said, with a hint of sadness in my voice.

"Is something wrong, my lady?" asked the woman.

"She's just so very tired!" Al-Cid exclaimed, cupping my shoulder with his free hand. "Now where is the emperor? We shall see to it that he sees his lovely bride!"

I swirl the liquid in my glass, avoiding any sort of contact from the lady or the judge.

"Ah, yes, he is waiting in the throne room. We shall bring you to him at once!" The lady opened the main doors of the palace with one push. At once I was overwhelmed with the grandeur of the palace interior.

The inside of the palace was breath-taking. The main lobby of the palace was a dome-like structure, and in the middle of it hung a two-story high chandelier, made out of hundreds of thousands of white crystals. It was probably magicite, I thought. The chandelier was shaped like the insignia of the Solidors, of two winged serpents that were intertwined. We were greeted by the Archadian Philharmonic orchestra as well, and they played a wonderful symphony. I knew that symphony very well. It was von Muir's 14th symphony on a theme of Mysidia.

Another judge, by the name of Gabranth welcomed us before we entered the lift to take us to the 80th floor. This time, the judge took off his helmet and bowed to us. He was a blonde man, who looked about forty, and had a large scar that ran across the left side of his face. The solider here were no metal monsters, but normal people. Thank you, Judge Gabranth, for reminding me of such thing.

"We bid you welcome, Lord Al-Cid and Lady Catalina, to the Imperial Palace," Judge Gabranth said. "It is an honor to stand in your presence. The emperor has been expecting you both. Now, please, if you will…"

The lift door opened and we entered. I still remained silent, only exchanging a couple of glances with this judge. He seemed very delighted with our arrival. A big smile was on his face. Al-Cid praised the interiors of the palace, and he said that it was more beautiful than the palace back at Ambervale. I had to disagree. I thought that Ambervale's palace was a much better place than this. Our palace was definitely not as big as the one here in Archades, but it boasted more sophistication than its counterpart here in Archadia.

When the lift door opened, my heart started to beat faster and faster. I was going to meet the emperor of Archadia. In my mind, I repeated his name. Emperor Larsa, Emperor Larsa, Emperor Larsa. Oh, how that name felt so misplaced on my tongue. How I wished to utter the name Leosandro instead.

I clasped my mother's necklace, and remembered her words.

_And now it is time for you to make a choice, Catalina. You must make a choice, whether you will be happy or not, for the rest of your life._

My life…I want it to be filled with happiness.

Judge Gabranth lead us down a hallway and into a large atrium. It was the throne room. The area had a high ceiling, a series of large windows. A long, velvet carpet marked the pathway towards the other end of the room, where a desk, a throne and a large banner of House Solidor were positioned. I could make out a figure sitting on the throne. As we got closer, I realized that I had been staring at my husband-to-be.

Al-Cid held my hand, and we made our way, very close to the emperor.

It was customary to go on our knees and pay homage to the Archadian emperor. And so we did. I kept my head down and low, in order for him not to see my face. I could only hear Al-Cid's voice, and feel my heart throb strongly. I did not want to see the emperor's face. I felt as if I would faint if I did.

Al-Cid lifted his head and looked towards the serious emperor. "Emperor Larsa, my dearest friend, I present to you…my most beautiful sister, Catalina Margrace. May she be a fitting wife."

I did not lift my head. I kept my position on the ground, kneeling and shielding my face. Al-Cid had already gotten to his feet, and was suspicious of my actions. I knew the emperor had taken notice of my behavior and got off his throne. I could hear his footsteps. They grew louder and louder, and closer. Still, I kept my head low. Then, I could see his boots. He was standing in front of me. I could hear whispers from my back.

Then, the emperor bent down and tried to look at me.

I was shocked. I never expected him to do that. My face started to get hot and red. At an instant I was red as a rogue tomato. I couldn't help but lift my head and open my eyes. I found myself staring into his deep, blue eyes.

The emperor rose and extended his hand. And I took it, and I got to my feet. My legs were trembling, and I could barely stand.

The emperor looked at me, and smiled warmly. "Catalina. That is a beautiful name."


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: _

_Hey Guys! Are you enjoying the story so far?_

_I hope you guys can comment if you enjoyed the story! I warmly welcome constructive criticism. _

_Thank you!_

_Now enjoy more of Larsa this time._

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><p><strong>Chapter 3:<strong>

Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor was a very intriguing man. He was the age of nineteen and a half, and stood at the height of 5'9 and a half. He had dark brown hair, and strong features, which were equally distributed on his long face. The most interesting characteristic of his face, though, were his eyes. They were as deep and mysterious as the Naldoan sea, yet they were filled with sorrow and naivety. He had broad shoulders and a good body, but he did not seem to be very athletic. The Archadian emperor spent his days in the senate house, or at his study, writing important documents. He did not take time to fix himself, for he said there was barely any time to spare for vanities. He looked sort of scrawny, in a way, when he didn't look his best, and rarely kept his eyes off the papers he was writing on.

But rather than looking at his good side, I would rather focus on enumerating his bad characteristics. The greater of his evils was his tendency to be completely stoic. A couple of days passed since I had arrived in Archades, and I had seen nothing special about this certain emperor. All he did was work, work, and work! I do not think he even has time for a woman! I was given a generously large suite on the west wing of the palace, which was next to the emperor's bedchambers. The time he arrives in his room is at half past midnight, and he enters his room with a few papers and a quill. I think he even writes in his sleep! Such a scary person! I spent my mornings in the drawing room with him, and there were rarely no conversations with him except for some "it's a lovely weather today" small talk, or "I am a bit troubled". There was no spark, not even a single glint of love interest in him, or in me for that matter! Aside from being stoic, he enjoys staring blankly into space, looking out the window and at many other places! I wonder if he's picturing something in his mind, or he fell asleep with his eyes open. He is as dead as a doornail!

Perhaps I am expecting too much of him. Perhaps I want him to be like Leosandro. And I miss my dearest Leosandro, who is probably missing me…I am terribly sorry, Leosandro, for leaving you like this. I am stuck with the deadest emperor on the planet!

Then, one day, I decided that I wanted to know more about Emperor Larsa. He was busy, working on some papers in the study. I came to him and sat by him, and wondered if he noticed me. He does notice me, and acknowledges my presence with a smile. "Good morning to you, dear Catalina," he says, with a sweet smile. I could see right through his act. "Is there anything I could help you with today?"

"Tell me, my lord," I said. "Have you ever…fallen in love?"

Larsa put down his quill and looked at me. His eyes met mine. I looked away, and repeated my question. "Have you ever fallen in love with someone, Emperor Larsa?" I could feel my face get hot again.

"Indeed," he smiled, and looks far away. "I fell in love with someone once…but then, I was just a child. I loved a Rabanastran woman, a dancer, a sky pirate."

He was so straightforward with his answer. A Rabanastran? A commoner? A sky pirate?

"A sky pirate, my lord?" I asked. I was very interested to know more about his story. I leaned towards him, and then I was all-ears. "You…fell in love with a commoner? How is that possible?"

Larsa faced me, and he looked at me once more. "She was a spectacular woman, that sky pirate…and I had saved her from an early grave. I grew to love her, but in time, I knew that our love was not possible. She was a sky pirate, a bird, and if I kept her in Archades, it would be like keeping her in a cage. Birds are meant to be free and wild."

I looked at him, my eyes filled with sadness. "I wish…I were a bird. Then I would never be locked up in a cage. And I could do anything that I wished."

"Being a bird…would be nice," said the emperor, as he looked towards the sky. "But I think it would be better to be a person. Being a person, I would be able to extend my help towards the less fortunate. I would be able to rid the world of some evils. I would be able to help someone, even if that means helping one person, out of many millions of people in Ivalice."

When he said those words, I felt the passion in his heart. This emperor knew what he was doing. He accepted his fate whole-heartedly at such a tender age.

"And…" he continued. "It is my duty, as a man of House Solidor, to put the needs of others before those of our own. We were taught this. When my brother had passed, I had the choice, to be emperor or not. I could have lived a free life, and I could do whatever I pleased…but I would have abandoned my country if I did, and I would have placed shame on the Solidor name. The choice I have made…I have no regrets about it."

I could not help but feel pity for this man. "You are generous."

"Thank you," he replied. And as he was about to pick up his quill, I asked him a question.

"Have you ever considered doing something the way you want it…for a change?"

The emperor gave me a very confused look. "I beg your pardon?"

I hope I did not upset him. "Yes…have you ever considered, perhaps, bending the law, or following you heart? Correct me if I am wrong, your Excellency, but from my perspective, it seems that you have been living you life according to the book, by the rules."

"Bending the law?" he asked. Then, he contemplated. He closed his eyes and smirked. "Yes, I have done that a couple of times in my life. As for following my heart…hmm…maybe I shall try that, one day."

The emperor picked up his quill and got back to writing. As he writes, I scrutinized him. Emperor Larsa's appearance and lifestyle was very rigid. His eyes seemed to be filled with melancholy, yet they seem to be filled with life. It was very hard to know his real emotions, for he was always pokerfaced. Sometimes he would smile, and giggle, but that was it.

So I sit beside him, for the rest of time. There was nothing else to do. I chose a book from his personal library in the study, and then I read it. It was a classic children's book, _The Adamantoise and the Tonberry_. It was funny, though, that I found it in his personal collection. To think a man like him reads children's books every once in a while. He must have missed his childhood. He had grown up so fast. I remember how my mother would read me these books, and I would sit on her lap until I fell asleep. This man, this emperor, did not have such childhood. Al-Cid had told me his mother died giving life to him, and so he was a feeble and weak child. As time passed he got stronger, and older, and wiser, yet he could not remember his childhood days.

The room was silent, and the only sound I heard was the emperor's quill. _Krrkrrkrr_, as it scratches on parchment. _Krrkrrkrr_.

"Catalina," he says all too suddenly.

I look up at him. He still writes, but continued to talk. "Thank you for accompanying me today. Sometimes, I get very lonely…" And then he sighs.

A lonely emperor. That was what he was.

"Do you think I am a bird, my lord?"

"Yes, I shall want to think so…" And the _krrrkrrkrr_ continues.

"Then, will you set me free?" I barely had the stomach to say it.

The _krrkrrkrr_ stopped. He let go of his quill, and his hands start to tremble. His voice was weak. "If you wish to leave, then I cannot stop you. But please think of staying a bit longer, Catalina, for I wish to have more of your company."

I looked at him. He frowned. His eyes were glassy.

I thought of it for a while. And then I thought of Leosandro.

"I wish to stay, a bit longer," I said softly. And I closed the book. "If you are lonely, then I will keep you company."

His eyes lit up. And he smiled.

"I shall want that…very much."


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note:_

_Hello again! This is Airbendergal._

_I hope you guys are enjoying the story. I hope you could tell me what you think about my fanfiction, The Lion and the Rose._

_I've spent a lot of hours writing the chapters, and I've had so much fun with it._

_Now here's another chapter for you guys-it's a playful little chapter._

_Larsa in this Chapter 4 is a happy Larsa! 3_

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><p><strong>Chapter 4:<strong>

It was my seventh day in Archadia. A week had passed since I had left my home in Ambervale, and moved to my new "home" in Archades. _Home_…it is a word that is tossed around so casually. Some people consider any house a home, but I, on the other hand, have only one home at present. And this home—the place where my heart resides—is back in Rozarria, where my family is. I dare not call Archadia home; it is not Ambervale.

Archadia is a spectacular place. If only her people were as spectacular as she. All the citizens of Archadia are austere and uptight. They have an air of arrogance around them. If you are a weak-hearted person, your chance of survival in this city is one to a million. If only Archadians were less grumpy, they would make very good company. It's been quite a culture shock for me. Some of our Rozarrian actions here are considered to be rude. A simple rolling of the eyes in Rozarria meant great disrespect in Archadia. I had to be very conscious about my actions, or I could get into trouble.

That morning, the emperor invited me to an audience with the Imperial Counsel. I was enraged by the idea of meeting the very people who sent me to this hellhole. I pretended to be sick that morning in order not to meet with them. I had been lying down on my bed for a good two hours now. The emperor had entered my bed chambers. I had hoped to trick him with fake coughs and sneezes. Unfortunately, though, the emperor had seen through my act, and offered me a deal.

"If you accompany me this morning, I shall give you a tour of Archades," he assured.

I was not moved. "I feel…a bit under the weather, my lord," I said in a weak voice. I coughed a bit. "Please, leave without me…you shall be late for your audience."

The emperor sighed. "Is there _anything_ at all that will persuade you to come and see them?"

I shook my head and arrogantly said, "I shall only join you if those fools are gone."

"Very well then," he said, leaving the room. "I shall be back."

I was relieved when the emperor had left. That man seemed to have lost patience with me. Thank Faram for that! I changed into my casual attire: a lovely cream-colored dress made out of the finest Rozarrian silk, and continued to lounge around in my bedroom. Emperor Larsa would return by noon time, so I would have a little time to…rest…I sat on the large futon across the room, and slowly my eyes started to…close…slowly….

To my surprise, the emperor had returned in half an hour, with four other people. I jumped out of the sofa I napped on, quickly straightening out all the creases on my dress. Out of the four people that joined the emperor, I only knew Judge Gabranth. There were two old men beside him, and a middle-aged lady as well.

"My lord! What is the meaning of this?" And my jaw dropped almost instantaneously.

The woman stepped forward. "We were informed by his Excellency that you were not well, Lady Catalina. Emperor Larsa took the liberty of bringing to counsel meeting to the Imperial Palace instead. Oh, how we wish you the best of health, my lady. We were not expecting that you would fall so ill!"

"I b-beg your pardon, my lady," I said shakily. "But h-have I heard correct? The _c-counsel meeting_? Are you the Imperial Counsel?"

"Indeed." It was another counselor that replied. It was one of the old men. He was a stout man with a long beard. "We are the Imperial Counsel."

My eyes widened. My cheeks became red. I glared at the Archadian emperor, my eyes burning with anger. Emperor Larsa…was grinning! He was grinning! That man was grinning! Did he purposely want to embarrass me in front of the council? I swore I could hear him laughing! How infuriating!

"It's an honor to meet you, Lady Catalina!" exclaimed the other old man. He was tall and had a hooked nose. He took my hand and went on his feeble knees. "We have been waiting anxiously for your arrival. We must apologize for the delay in our meeting—we had some other problems."

"I too must apologize, counselor," I replied. "I did not expect that you would be arriving at such hour. I was not dressed for an audience. Please, let us go outside."

"Hmm…yes…" And then the man scrutinized what I was wearing. "That is not a problem at all, Lady Catalina. Let us all go to the drawing room, then? Unless…my lady is still weak?"

"I am doing _much better_ now," I stressed, forcing a smile.

And so we went to the drawing room. It was a beautiful and spacious room, located on the north annex of the palace. The drawing room had a high ceiling, which bore paintings depicting angels and saints of the Light of the Kiltia. A great chandelier hung in the middle of the room. The sofas and chairs in this room were elaborately designed: the head and armrests of the chairs were carved to depict the backs of serpents, and the feet of the chairs looked like unguis.

The two old men and the woman took the long settee, while Judge Gabranth preferred to stand up. I sat beside the Archadian emperor on a sofa parallel to the counselors.

"Now allow me to introduce myself, Lady Catalina," said the thin old man. "I am Lord Ghis, and this healthy fellow over here is Lord Yalner. We have been counselors to the royal family for a very long time. We have been around since the reign of Emperor Larsa's father, the late Lord Gramis."

"And I am Lady Faress," said the woman, as she bowed her head. "And I am certain you have met Judge Gabranth. He is Emperor Larsa's guardian."

"Yes, I have met him before," I smiled.

And so, for an hour, the counselors talked with me. We engaged in discussions of political matter: the state of the empire, my father, the next heir to the Rozarrian throne, and many other uninteresting topics. Emperor Larsa had joined our discourse in the latter topics, when we had talked about the political marriage. It was a very uncomfortable talk—even Lord Ghis could see the repugnance of my eyes.

"Have you made preparations for the wedding, Emperor Larsa?" asked Lord Yalner.

"We have not," replied Emperor Larsa.

"When do you plan to have the wedding, then?"

Even I could not answer that. There was an eerie silence in the room.

"Perhaps…in the next few months." Emperor Larsa broke the silence. "We've still to decide on the date, you see…"

"Ah," spoke Yalner. "Very well, then. But bear in mind, my lord…you must catch that woman before she slips away from your grasp." And he laughed a hearty laugh.

An Archadian joke, perhaps? The people in the room start to laugh. I pretend to laugh as well, but in my head I had already killed Lord Yalner twice. Perhaps I shall seriously consider slipping away from the emperor's grasp.

"I am much aware of that," the emperor smiled. "And we shall call the meeting to a close."

The counselors left one by one. Sooner the only ones left in the drawing room were the emperor and I. He kept a straight face on. It was as if nothing had happened!

"Do you think that this is some sort of _game_¸ my lord?" I asked him bitterly.

"Perhaps," he replied.

"I am not playing this silly game of yours. Seriously…you Archadian men have no respect for women." And l looked at him from the tip of my nose.

"I had no intentions of upsetting you, Lady Catalina," explained Emperor Larsa. "Since you did not want to go to them, I brought them here. The Imperial Counsel had wanted an audience with you for a period of time now. It would be a shame to keep them waiting."

I folded my arms. "Hmph! You could have atleast told me in advanced! Look at what I am wearing! It is disgraceful! All those counselors are so properly dressed; compared to them I look like garbage. _Ai_…you men will never learn."

"I have learned," he responded, smiling. "You once told me to try doing something the way I had wished it. So I have. And I feel exceptionally happy today. You are a miracle worker, dearest Catalina."

"How can you act so happy? You embarrassed a woman in front of high officials! Hmph!"

I storm out of the room, hearing some laughter echo in the distance.

Some men will never learn.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note:_

_Hello there, guys! Are you enjoying the story so far?_

_The four previous chapters are only the beginning of what is to come. (Note: The Imperial _Counsel_ is actually a word play. It's not a misspelling of Imperial Council) _

_Now this chapter kicks off the main plot of the story._

_The Lion and the Rose is going to get a whole lot exciting from this point._

_I've created some fan art for this fanfiction, I hope you can take time to view these beautiful works on my deviantART:_

**_Catalina, the Rose:_**_ .com/art/The-Rose-and-the-Lion-205352828 _

**_A game? = _**_airbendergal.__devianta__rt__.com/art/TLaTR-A-Game-206123374_

_Now enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 5:<strong>

My father had always scolded me for being hot-headed. In the family, I was coined as the "Roda Volcano"—ready to erupt—and it had lead to my nickname, "Roda." Of course, in Archadia no one had known about this certain nickname of mine, and everyone seemed to have tolerated my behavior in the past few weeks I had stayed in the Imperial Palace. I no longer kept track of time. Minutes blurred into hours, hours blurred into days, days into weeks. Then, I realized a month had passed. A month, only? It felt like an eternity. The Archadian emperor still remained the same: serious and pokerfaced. His schedule was as hectic as ever, but he still made time to visit my chambers every now and then. I had gotten bored with him so quickly. I grew impatient and started to act as I did at home: a pompous and narcissistic woman with nothing to do. It was not my fault. The emperor had not been paying attention to me. And so, you are probably thinking that I am a self-absorbed brat. You are probably right about that. Before, I had lived life the way I wanted it; everything was done in _my_ way. Now…everything had been stripped away from me: my pride and freedom. I was in a strange land filled with strange people, and my husband-to-be was a strange emperor. I had longed to be back in Rozarria, in the arms of my dearest Leosandro.

It was a beautiful morning, on the 31st day of my stay. It was not the cherry blossom trees, or the cobblestone roads, or the distant, fog-veiled Cerobi Steppes that made it a beautiful morning. It was the sight of an airship, grand and spectacular; one that bore the symbol of the Rozarrian Empire. Someone had come to bring me out of this hellhole! Oh, thank the gods! Perhaps my father had wanted to withdraw me from this madness, or perhaps Leosandro had brought in the Imperial Squadron. I did not care, for at least someone would save me! At once I rushed to the berthing dock, along with Judge Gabranth. To my surprise, it was not my father, or Leosandro, but a messenger, an Imperial dispatcher, who had come to present to me a letter.

"From who?" I asked him earnestly.

"Lord Leosandro," replied the messenger, passing the scroll to me.

At once I received the scroll, and unrolled it. At once, my eyes widened, and I swore under my breath.

"An assault?" asked Emperor Larsa, furrowing his brow. He had halted his current work in order to assess the situation. "The Jyllanders* have staged an air raid on the 31st Archadian Squadron?"

"This is what the letter tells us," Judge Gabranth replied. "According to the Bureau of Intelligence, there have been at least twenty casualties, and millions of gil of damage inflicted on our airships. The air raid occurred off the coast of Goug."

"The moogle mechanics shall be able to take care of the airships, then," the emperor said, folding his fingers. "But what bother me is the casualties. I value our men over machine. Has the official list of casualties been released?"

"Yes," replied the judge. "There are at least seven trainees, five lower house judges and six mechanics that have been reported dead."

"Blast," murmured the emperor. "Catalina."

I looked at him. "Yes, my lord?"

"The Jyllanders are your allies, are they not?"

"They are, my lord."

Emperor Larsa frowned, and analyzed the situation. "Are they trying to provoke us? Or perhaps, they have heard about our whereabouts-that Archadia and Rozarria are willing to be allies, and they are against it."

"I do not see why they would attack, Emperor Larsa," I replied. "They've sworn to Emperor Edelmiro XI that they would not interfere with Archadia's doings. Any ally of ours is Archadia's ally as well."

And then he kept quiet, and reflected. "Gabranth, I order you to investigate the situation in Goug. Proceed to Jylland and evaluate the circumstances. I need a full report in two days."

"Yes, my lord." Gabranth bowed and made a hasty exit.

"I shall discuss the matters with the Senate and the Imperial Counsel immediately," he told me.

"And what about me?" I asked. I had wanted to help.

"You…" he replied. "Catalina, you must write a letter to Lord Leosandro and your father, and notify them of our actions. Once you have done so, give it to Judge Zargabaath. He shall bring it to Ambervale."

My eyes lit up. "May I go with him?"

At once he frowned. I knew it was a big _NO._

"I understand, your Excellency…"

"I need to know that you are safe," he said in a dominant voice. "Whatever those Jyllanders are planning may have to do with our marriage, Catalina. We must keep you under constant surveillance."

_Constant surveillance?_ Now that is wonderful. For a person who does not seem to care about me at all, he is certainly over-protective. My chances of slipping away is anything but a dream. My only chance of leaving this place is through Judge Zargabaath. If there was only some way to persuade him… It would be impossible, though, for Judge Zargabaath was immovable as a rock. After some time I had come to the conclusion that the only way to escape Archadia was to stow away in the _Alexander_.

I got to write the letters in an hour and a half. It was about noon time. It was the perfect hour to escape. Emperor Larsa was busy in the senate house, and Judge Gabranth was in the Bureau of Intelligence. Most of the guards and soldiers were having lunch break, while Judge Zargabaath was attending to a last-minute meeting with the imperial elites. Only a few soldiers were positioned around the Imperial Hangar: a private aerodome for the royal family. They were in charge of guarding the airship from any unwanted guests.

I walked into the perimeter so casually. A few guards had stopped me.

"Halt!" ordered an imperial guard. He had a large spear; he was probably one of those hoplites.

"I'm sorry," I replied in a sarcastic and arrogant tone. "I did not realize that I wasn't allowed here. I was just admiring this airship, the _Alexander_. It's a wonderful airship, but I wonder if it can ever fly faster than the _Kirin_."

"Who are ye?" asked the guard. "And 'ow did ye get access to t'is area?"

"Do you know who I am?" I tried my best to act like a pompous Archadian noblewoman. "I am Princess Catalina _Margrace_, the eldest daughter of the Rozarrian Royal family…and your future empress!"

Well, that seemed to have worked. The guards went down to their knees. "We're deeply sorry, yer highness! We didn't expect ye to grace us with yer presence."

I held my head up high. "Hmph! Now stand. You are forgiven. Where is Judge Zargabaath? I must give him a very important document. It's a letter to my father, the Emperor Edelmiro XI."

" 'e's coming in a few minutes, m'lady," said the hoplite, getting back on his feet. "If you wish, we will forward the letter to Judge Zargabaath."

"Yes, please give this to him, then," I snapped. "It is very confidential. Now, you, guard, show me inside this Alexander. I will assess whether or not it is greater than the warships of Rozarria."

"I assure ye, m'lady, the Alexander is the fastest warship in the skies."

"I order you to show me, guard!" I retorted. I hoped this would give me entrance to the ship.

"Yes, m'lady," replied the guard, bowing. "Now come along with me."

Yes! This foolproof plan of mine actually worked! The other soldiers would now forward it to Judge Zargaabath. The hoplite, on the other hand, had brought me inside the _Alexander_, a titanic airship, probably the size of a twenty-storey building. The Alexander was housed in a private hangar, which was built to accommodate such grand warship. As I entered, I found myself in a whole different world. It was like I had entered a fantasy realm. The Alexander was a flying, metal castle. Thick metal pipes, cords and tubes ran across the body of the ship, like veins. Gears clinked and metal boards clunked. Steam hissed and engines rumbled, like a terrifying sound of an earthquake.

The only thing left to do now was to get rid of my guide, the Imperial hoplite. As he gave me a tour of the lower decks of the airship, I felt as if my presence in the place would be noticed. Groups of imperial mechanics, soldiers and their mastiffs passed by us as we turned corners of the Alexander. Metals head turned and tails pointed. I did not want to attract attention. I was supposed to be _stowing away_.

And then I remembered a trick my mother had taught me.

I ordered the hoplite to bring me to the storage bay. The imperial insisted that it was a restricted area, but I had pushed him to do such task. The imperial hoplite allowed me to look around the storage deck, but only for a minute, for it was only a few minutes before the Alexander would embark for Ambervale.

The storage deck was a perfect place to perform the final task. It was a dark, hidden place filled with rows and rows of crates and boxes. If I had gotten rid of the hoplite and hidden here, I would not be noticed.

"Now come here, guard," I ordered.

"M'lady?" asked the guard, as he approached me.

"Are you feeling a bit drowsy?"

"No' at all, m—"

"_Sleepga._"

At once the imperial hoplite fell to the ground, face flat. I had placed a sleeping spell on him. My mother and tutor had taught me Green Magick. I found it quite useless…until now. The hoplite would be unconscious for a couple of hours, and when he would wake up; he would not remember a thing. That Archadian emperor would not suspect a thing, either! Ha! I could already imagine the look on his face once he realizes I am gone. Now I will be able to get back to my family in Rozarria, and be in the arms of my dearest Leosandro.

I quickly ran to the back of the deck and crouched behind a pile of crates. I could hear footfalls from above me, and the rumble of the engine below. The Alexander was about to take flight. There were some shouts from around me; the crewmen were passing around orders. "All hands to deck! All hands to deck! All hands to deck!"

I could almost taste freedom! I could already smell the fresh Rozarrian air!

Just then, I heard fusillade of metal footsteps and breathing noises around the area. I heard some barks, and shouts. "Man down! Man down!" The breathing noises get louder and louder, still. I poked my head through an opening between two large crates. I then found myself face to face with a massive, black mastiff. His snout is so close; I could feel its saliva spray my face.

I shrieked. I fell forward in shock, knocking over the pile of empty crates above me. The mastiff barked and howled, and scratched at me. I tried to avoid the hound's swipe, but his claw caught my leg and I felt it rip through my skin. The mastiff had scratched my leg. I could see blood drip down my ankles.

Then, the world around me faded into a big, black mess.

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><p><em>*Jyllanders- The people of Jylland, another region in Ivalice, that can be found in FFTA2: Grimoire of the Rift<em>


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys! Airbendergal here!_

_Thank you so much for the support you have given to this story!_

_As of today, we have over 250 views for the whole story, and it's only been on FF for a week!_

_I'm glad you guys really enjoy it. Please keep those reviews coming, I look forward to it!_

_I bet I left you hanging in the last chapter, so here's the continuation._

_Things are about to get really serious from now on._

_Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 6:<strong>

Daylight flooded into my eyes painfully. I moaned. I opened my eyes slowly; I could see some figures looming over me. People. Why were there people around me? Where was I? Was I dead?

"Lady Catalina! She is awake! Inform the others!"

I heard some voices, some footfalls. I realized I was on my bed back in Archades. The people who surrounded me were doctors and white mages. I could point out some of the people I knew. One of them was Doctor Phynix, the emperor's personal doctor. He dashed out of the room, carrying a weird mechanical device with him.

I tried to wiggle my toes, and then move my fingers. I was alive. I could not remember what happened to me. The last thing I remembered was the snout of a mastiff…and….the Alexander. It was all coming back to me, slowly. I stowed away in the Alexander at an attempt to return to my homeland. My escape plan had failed.

There were more footfalls, and the sound of trumpets. I tried to get out of bed. The people who surrounded me gasped and tried to push me back down into a lying position. I fell back, and an excruciating pain ran down my lower limbs. What was this? There was some sort of large gauze on my right leg. And then I remembered. The mastiff had scratched me.

The sound of trumpets grew louder. I saw a figure enter the room. It was Judge Zargabaath, and behind him, the Archadian emperor. I could see the emperor's face. It was filled with remorse.

"Grace from the gods," murmured the judge.

"M-my lord…" I trembled, as the emperor drew closer.

"Catalina," he replied in a monotonous tone. He crouched down by my bedside.

"We shall take our leave, my lord," whispered one of the medics. "If there is anything you need, then please summon us."

The emperor nodded, and the doctors left.

I managed to sit in bed. I could not walk yet. I could not even look at the emperor. I had committed a very shameful and egoistic act; looking at the emperor would not be right. I was very embarrassed to be in his presence. I looked away and shut my eyes.

"Are you aware of what you've done?" asked the emperor. His voice was filled with dismay, and it started to tremble. "W-why? Why have you done this?"

I did not answer.

"Look at me," the emperor ordered. And he took my hands, holding it close to him. I could feel his velvety gloves, and the warmth of his palms. "Look at me, Catalina."

I did not look.

"Catalina, my love, please…"

My eyes opened. And I looked into his blue eyes, which were deeper than the Naldoan sea. His eyes…they burnt with anger, sorrow, and regret. They became watery after some time. Was the emperor…weeping? Had I hurt him so greatly?

"Do you know what you've done?" he asked once more, and his hands trembled.

"I…do…" I replied, and looked away.

"You are foolish. You're a foolish, arrogant and naïve woman!" he exclaimed. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared. "Look at what you've done! You attempted to escape and stow away on the Alexander. You were almost slaughtered by a damned mastiff!"

The emperor's face became red and hot. His grip became tighter. The sheer power of his voice…it overwhelmed it. I did not expect a man like him to be so…impassioned. There came a point when he reminded me of my own father.

"Tell me," he continued. "Why did you escape? What made you even think of escaping?"

I kept quiet. I could feel tears building in my own eyes. I was getting harder to breathe now. The emperor came closer, closer than he ever was before. He was breathing over my neck.

"Answer me," he said in a soft voice. "Catalina, you have troubled me. I…I have been so worried..."

Then, I broke down into tears. I cried at my own helplessness. "Please, my lord, forgive me…"

I could not explain the events that had followed. One thing was for sure, though…I had found myself crying in the arms of Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor. My head was pressed against his chest, and I gripped at his sleeves. My tears had stained his silken robe.

"I am sorry…_Larsa_…" And I cried until all my tears dried away.

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><p>I came to realize that Emperor Larsa was not a very bad man. At times he could be very stoic and austere, but it was only a façade. An emperor is deemed as a man with an iron fist, an all-powerful head and an influential individual. If Larsa had shown weakness, in any sort of way, to any sort of person, it would mean bad news for him. Any sign of emotional instability from an emperor could lead to the crumbling of his nation. This fact was very true. My father, too, always had to wear a mask of supremacy in front of his followers. The people of Rozarria favored Edelmiro XI very much, for he seemed capable of leading the empire to the summit of her primacy. Emperor Larsa, in truth, was a very kind and gentle man. He was very clumsy, though, at showing his real emotions. He would either force it out through a wave of heated comments, or remain straight-face and answer bluntly. I could forgive him, though. It was only second nature for an emperor to act this way.<p>

For the next few days, I was forced to walk around with a walking stick. Emperor Larsa instructed me to accompany him for the time being. He said it would be easier to call for someone in case anything would happen to me. I practically spent half of a day with the emperor. He opened up interesting topics about Archadia. He told me about his empire's rich history and about Archadia's past relation with Rozarria. He knew some facts even I did not know of. Larsa told me about the simple beginnings of the empire: Archadia was once a poor city state, but managed to become an empire during the time of Raithwall. It was very interesting to listen to him. Sometimes he would stop talking, and he would ask me if I was feeling any better.

I now spoke his name more frequently. The name _Larsa_ found a place in my tongue.

A letter came in that afternoon. It was from the Archadian Wine Association.

"Hmm…" said Emperor Larsa. "It seems that there will be a wine festival in the North Gardens next Tuesday. They are inviting us to join them. It seems news it getting around about your presence in the city, Catalina. People now know of the allying of Archadia and Rozarria. If word comes to the press, this would be a great opportunity to show yourself to the public."

I thought about it. If I made a good first impression to the people of Archadia, then I reckon the people will be assured of a stable alliance between the empires. I was afraid to show myself to the public, though, for I was a very uncharismatic person. I had not liked the idea of social gatherings one bit, and to be judged (or misjudged, for that matter) by the people of Archadia is a very crucial element in gaining a reputation.

"A public appearance," I said. "Well, I hope I do very well."

Emperor Larsa and I had lunch together by his patio. He told me it was his favorite place in the entire palace. It was a place for him to think and reflect about life, and his family. We dined on seared scallions with poached eggs. Larsa recalled his favorite moments with his brother and his father. He told me of his mother and two brothers, whom he vaguely remembered. When he talked about his family, I thought of my own. I wondered how my family was. My father and mother must have missed me dearly. Al-Cid and my other siblings were probably awaiting my return.

"Your family must be nice," I commented.

Larsa just smiled.

"Your Excellency!" exclaimed a voice from behind me. I looked back and saw it was Judge Zargabaath. He rushed into the patio, carrying a red envelope in his left hand. Something felt very wrong about this. The judge seemed to be gaping like a fish out of water. "Emperor Larsa!"

The emperor rose from his seat. "Judge Zargabaath."

"News from the Bureau of Intelligence," Zargabaath breathed. "The Jyllanders…they-they've ambushed the 9th squadron. The letter, sire."

"Give it," Larsa snapped. He grabbed the envelope from Zargabaath and took a good look at. There was a large red seal on the middle of the package. "The _Scarlet Serpent_. It's a seal only used in times of great emergency."

At once Emperor Larsa opened the envelope and scanned through the letter. His eyes widened. "The Jyllanders have ambushed the 9th squadron of the Archadian fleet. Apparently the Jyllanders have sunk at least two light cruisers, and the flagship of the ninth squadron, the heavy cruiser, _Carbuncle_, has been greatly damaged, and is currently being repaired in Goug. There are at least 50 casualties."

"What of Judge Gabranth?" I asked Zargabaath.

"Gabranth…" replied the judge. "As of now, we have no news of his status. But I am very confident that he is well and alive. Gabranth was on the Carbuncle, luckily, and he is probably in Goug as we speak."

The emperor breathed a curse. "Blast. How could they foresee our act?"

I just shook my head in disbelief.

"If this slaughter continues, I shall be forced to take dire action," Larsa murmured. He looked at me. "Catalina, we must inform your father about this assault. There is only one diplomatic option left, then. I shall convene an International Council. That way, we shall be able to unravel the cause of these attacks."

An International Council was a massive gathering. All the heads of state of participating nations would unite under one roof, in one city, and discuss a matter that greatly affects their peoples. A gathering such as this would only occur once in a lifetime. I had never been to an International Council, and I doubt if my father had ever convened one. If Emperor Larsa were to assemble an International Council, it would be one of the greatest moves he had ever accomplished in his reign.

"Tell the senate immediately," Larsa instructed Zargabaath. "I will convene an International Council. All the heads of state of the empires of Rozarria and Archadia, and representatives from Jylland shall attend the council. Send out the Scarlet Serpents to all of the individuals I have addressed. We need them to be here in Archades by this Friday."

All the heads of Rozarria meant my father, Al-Cid, _and _my dearest _Leosandro_. I would finally get to see all my loved ones again. For some reason, though, I felt uncomfortable at the thought of my Leosandro, and his coming to Archades. Was it because…I was beginning to develop emotions for Emperor Larsa?


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note:_

_Hello readers! This is Airbendergal!_

_The Lion and the Rose seems to be getting a lot of readers here in !_

_In 24 hours, the 250 views turned into 370 views! Wow! That is wonderful news!_

_I am so happy that everyone is enjoying the story!_

_I hope you guys continue to support the story of Catalina Margrace. She's a wonderful and substantial character indeed. One of the best characteristics of Catalina is her capability to be completely human. She has typical feelings and actions of a normal woman: anger, jealousy, regret, and envy. Yes, I know that being "human" is such a boring thing, and some people would rather have OCs that have superpowers or magical flying dragons. Most of the characters in this story are very human as well, and they all share characteristics that can be seen in modern society. _

_So, anyway, here's the next chapter! Keep those reviews coming!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 7:<strong>

The alarming news of a successive assault by the Jyllanders rattled Emperor Larsa. He was tensed and stressed during the days that followed. He had much to worry about: the second air raid on the 9th Archadian Squadron and the International Council. His workload had doubled: he had to send condolence letters to the families of the victims, file an official report on the assault, and most importantly, draft schedules for the International Council. The emperor spent most of his days in the Senate House, and there he would accomplish these tasks with the help of senators, government officials and provincial representatives.

By late afternoon, Emperor Larsa returned to the palace with a servant. The lowly servant was a lanky old man who carried a mountain of papers and envelopes, almost half his size. The man looked like he was having a hard time, so I offered some help.

"There is no need, my lady," said the man in a rusty voice. "I am doing well. You, on the other hand, are still on the verge of healing, so I must reject your services, for the meantime."

It was true. I had recovered from the nasty scratch the mastiff had given me, but I still limped and could not walk as fast as I used to. The scratch marks on my leg had turned into little dotted lines, and the doctors had told it I would be back to normal in a few days.

I followed the two men through many different archways and halls. The imperial palace was a massive place. One could get easily lost in here if he did not have a guide. Luckily I was with Emperor Larsa, and he knew every nook and cranny of the palace since he was a child. The halls in this floor were filled with portraits of noble men and women. There were large mirrors and intricate furnishings.

"That is quite a lot of work, my lord," I told the emperor.

"It is a requirement for the council. People from all over Ivalice will gather in Archades tomorrow. These documents are here to accommodate and guide the foreign delegates," explained Larsa. "As of now, we are expecting at least a thousand representatives."

A thousand representatives included my father, Al-Cid and my dearest Leosandro.

"I have also instructed the civil guard to be on high alert," continued the emperor. "Once we have opened our gates to the foreigners, Archades will practically be an open city. We could be susceptible to any attacks. Judge Zargabaath should be able to take care of the aerial monitoring. The air traffic here shall increase twofold. We would not want any trouble from the Jyllanders."

We had finally made it to the throne room. Larsa instructed the servant to place the documents on his desk. The clumsy, lanky old man made his way across the long room like a drunkard; he swayed side to side, trying to balance the heavy papers that were dancing in his arms. The papers landed on the desk with a _thud_. At once Larsa sat on his desk and got back to work. He took out his finest quill and ink, and started to sign the documents. _Krrkrrkrr _sounds filled the room once more.

"Are you not excited?" asked Emperor Larsa.

"Excited, my lord?"

"Too see your father. Are you not excited? You've caused me a great deal of trouble after your escape attempt. I assume that you've missed your family greatly. For the past few days you have been very quiet." He stopped for a while and waited for my response.

"Ah, I am," I said, and forced a smile.

I had missed my family greatly—this was true. I would love to see my father and brother again. But, it was not my family that concerned me. It was the love of my life, Leosandro. Leosandro would be coming here to Archades. He was well aware of my current condition; he knew I was living with the emperor of Archadia. What would I say if I saw him? Would I be sorry that I left? Would I even have the stomach to face him? What would Leosandro say once he met Emperor Larsa? I felt as if I had been drifting farther and farther away from him. In my heart, I had loved him dearly, but if I had loved him greater, than I fear that I would have no heart for my husband-to-be. To love two men-it would be like tying two balloons to the same string. Evidently, one would have to give up and burst. My heart would have to belong to only one man. It would either belong to Leosandro or the empire.

"There are many great lords in Rozarria," I told Larsa. "One of them in Lord Leosandro Fergaza."

"They must be great men, these lords," commented the emperor. "This, _Leosandro_…tell me about him."

At once I begin to blush. I wish I could have said how smart, handsome and brilliant he was, but it would not be the right answer. "Lord Leosandro is a scholarly man, and is the head of the Bureau of Interpersonal Connections. If you want answers about the air raids, then it is Lord Fergaza that you must seek. He has many public relations officers who are connected to the Jylland officials."

"Ah, then I must talk to him immediately."

"No! You musn't!" I suddenly shrieked. I regretted telling information about his position the government.

The emperor's eyes widened. "And why not?"

"He must be very busy," I tried to explain. It was not a valid answer for the emperor.

"Ah, I see…" the emperor muttered. "I will look forward to meeting this Lord Fergaza. And I will also be looking forward to meeting your Emperor Edelmiro XI and Al-Cid as well. Your brother is a very entertaining man. He never changed."

"You've met him before?" I asked, shocked.

"Yes, I have worked with him a couple of times, back when I was twelve years old. During the Great War we came to a diplomatic agreement and pushed for a peace treaty. The queen of Dalmasca, Queen Ashelia joined us when we met in Mt. Bur-Omisace."

"A lot has changed in eight years," I said. "It is very nice to hear that Al-Cid has not changed. He still has not grown up. Thus, my father worries that he will not make a good emperor. Al-Cid spends most of his free time with his women."

The emperor loosened his collar and jerked his eyebrows. He seemed a bit appalled. "I see…"

"But do not be mistaken," I laughed. "My brother is a very kind and chivalrous man! He always keeps me in a pleasant mood. And he has treated me very well."

"Yes, yes, well…I shall see to it that we will meet your family."

* * *

><p>As afternoon came, Emperor Larsa focused less on the Imperial Council, and more on the gastronomic banquet after the event. The best caterers in all of Archadia were summoned by the emperor himself and were to present to him their menu for the feast. Out of twenty companies, Larsa had chosen the <em>Farron and Locke's Food Services<em> as the official catering company for the banquet. A large menu, composed of forty dishes was to be served tomorrow night. A line of event planners came in with decorations, cleaning staff and maintenance members. Judge Zargabaath also stopped by and told the emperor of the preparations for tomorrow's traffic system. Even the emperor's counselors paid him a visit that evening. Lord Yalner, Lord Ghis and Lady Faress came at about eight o'clock, when Emperor Larsa and I finished our dinner. They spoke words of grief for the victims and then moved on to talk about the International Council.

"We shall be there as well, your Excellency. We are praying for a great meeting tomorrow," Ghis said.

"Not to mention the banquet that follows!" Yalner added, laughing. His baritone voice echoed through the throne room.

"Gabranth—he would have loved to come," Lady Faress sighed. "According to reports, the Carbuncle is almost completely functional, and many of the survivors are out of harm's way. A messenger from Goug came to us just this afternoon. He brought news of Gabranth's current state. He suffered a few minor injuries, but he should be able to come back, just as soon as the Carbuncle is fully operational. Our prayers are to Faram. May Gabranth be safe."

"I am glad," Larsa smiled warmly.

"Well then," said Yalner, grinning cockily. "We will have to get going. The hour is coming to an end. It's time for us to retire, my lord. We wish you the best of luck for tomorrow. Now try your best and look pleasing to the audience. Good night, Emperor Larsa."

"Yes," replied Larsa with a faint frown. "Good night to you as well, Lord Yalner."

Once the counselors had left, the room was deserted once more. Larsa and I were both very exhausted from the happenings of the day. There were many people we had to attend to, and I was losing my patience to the Imperial Counsel. They treat Emperor Larsa as if he is still a child. Perhaps they still do not see the man in him. Larsa became the emperor at the age of twelve—this was a fact people remembered. Most people probably did not think Larsa was ready to rule an empire. But here he stands, strong and valiant, ruling one of the greatest empires in the world. The International Council will surely be a way to prove his strength as a political ruler.

"Catalina," Larsa called in faint voice.

I looked at him. The man slouched on his throne: his legs were spread apart, his back was arched and his crown slanted like the Leaning Tower of Giza*. Emperor Larsa's eyes were dark and drooping, and his hair was messy. He looked as worn-out as an overused pair of boots.

"Yes, my lord?" I asked him.

"I want you to read me a story," he said, smiling.

"What story?"

"The Adamantoise and the Tonberry."

And so I got the storybook out of the Emperor's personal book collection. I opened the hardbound copy and flipped to the first page. In a mellow voice, I started to read. "Once upon a time, there was a tonberry who, boasting how he could run faster than anyone else, was forever teasing an adamantoise for its slowness…"

As I read the fairytale, the emperor closed his eyes and smiled. He was slowly drifting off into a pleasant slumber.

* * *

><p>*<em>Leaning Tower of Giza<em>-a pun for the Leaning Tower of Pisa.


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys! This is Airbendergal!_

_Sorry I took so long to update the story. I know some of you guys are waiting for the next chapter. :D Haha_

_Anyway, here is Chapter 8. It's a pretty long chapter, because it's one of the major events during the story._

_Hopefully you guys will come back and read more! _

_I will just write another chapter...then I will have to leave Manila for some time, so I will not be updating for two weeks. _

_Sorry guys! :(_

_Just tell your friends about this story. I'm sure they'll love it, too._

_When I get back I'll be uploading two or more chapters..._

_Thank you for your time!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8:<strong>

Flags. Different flags of different nations were arranged in a colonnade in front of the Senate House. Emperor Larsa and I had gone off to the senate house early that morning. We had arrived about eight o'clock (much earlier than my usual waking up time), and the sun was barely above the peaks of the Cerobi Steppe. All the personnel of the senate house and the palace were exhausted from a long night's work. The graveyard shift had ended, and a new batch of employees would now take charge of all the preparations for the International Council. I saw servants running to and fro, gardeners attending last-minute landscaping and the civil guards assembling in front of the senate house's doors. The guards were getting a sermon from a lower house judge.

"Now look sharp, men," said the judge. "We are expecting 1, 400 people today. You are in charge of guarding the perimeter of the senate house. If there is any sort of disturbance, do not hesitate to report it to your superior."

"Sir, yes, sir!" exclaimed the imperials in unison. They bowed to the judge.

Emperor Larsa and I were still in our casual attires; we would still return to the palace after checking out the venue.

It had been my first time in the senate house. In truth, the interior of the building looked much like the palace (or any other infrastructure in Archades, for that matter). The senate building was the busiest government building in the capital. Even early in the morning, there were already many people inside the senate house. Most of them were senators, of course, and lower house representatives, busy at work. The senate house was mainly used for senate hearings, conferences with the emperor, and the storage house of taxation documents.

A group of senators spotted Larsa and I. They immediately came to us, and got their knees. I was not used to high officials and lords bowing down to me. The only people who used to do such were servants and commoners, but now even the lords were at my knees. It was because of Emperor Larsa. He was their emperor, and I was his wife-to-be.

"Good morrow, your Excellency," said one of the senators. "And good morrow to you as well, Lady Catalina."

I was surprised the man knew my name. Apparently many people were much aware of my situation: a Rozarrian princess forced into a political marriage with the emperor. They knew my name, but I doubted if anyone knew my face. But the senator later explained Emperor Larsa had told them much about me, and I became embarrassed.

Suddenly, Emperor Larsa took my hand and said, "Now please excuse us, senators. We must inspect the venue. It was a pleasure to see you all again." And we walked away swiftly.

"Why are you such in a hurry?" I asked Larsa. We were still briskly walking down a hallway. The emperor glanced back from time to time, and when the senators were far behind and out of sight, he stopped and took a breath. "Is there something wrong, my lord?"

"It is nothing," he chuckled, then placed a hand on his chest.

"That doesn't look like _nothing_." And I wondered why he stared at my hand.

He dismissed the issue, and left me wondering about what had happened earlier. Instead we continued to the main assembly hall, the biggest chamber that could accommodate all of the guests. The auditorium was a massive, semi-circular structure that had a high ceiling, and looked similar to an outdoor ampitheater in Rozarria. There were tiers of seats all arranged in a symmetrical order, and a few aisles that streaked through the sea of chairs. The cleaning crew was still busy sweeping the floors and scrubbing the walls. Some scaffolding were being dismantled from the sides of the hall, and people were checking every chair, every rail, every curtain to the slightest minutiae.

"Everything seems to be in order," Emperor Larsa said, looking around. We went down into the chamber, and onto the podium. There were a few guards positioned in front of the stage, and they were armed with rifles. At the sight of the emperor they went to their knees. "At ease, gentlemen."

The imperial guards went back on their feet and returned to being statues.

"Well, now, Catalina," Larsa told me. "You shall be seated in the first row, right there." And he pointed to a seat in the front row. "The seats in the middle division will be occupied by the senators, judge magisters, provincial and political representatives of Archadia. The right area will be occupied by Rozarrian representatives and to your left, the delegates from Jylland and members of the press."

"Where will you sit?" I asked.

Right on cue, a few servants came in with a grand, golden chair, and they placed in the middle of the podium. Larsa smiled and said, "I will be seating here, ready to address the peoples of all nations. Now, in order for everyone to hear the spokespersons, we used a certain magick that enables sound to travel throughout the hall loudly. We've incorporated the latest technology as well, such as these electronic speakers."

I thought of my father, brother and dearest Leosandro. They would be arriving in a few hours.

The emperor and I finished the inspection in half an hour, after going through the meals during the intermission, and meeting with the Imperial Archadia's Choir, who would sing the Archadian National Anthem. Of course, I never memorized the anthem of Archadia, but in time I would be required to, when I would marry the emperor. Larsa and I returned to the palace afterwards, to prepare for the International Council.

* * *

><p>Airships, of all shapes and kinds, started to enter Archadian air by early afternoon. The ships entered like a flock of migratory birds, they came in waves. I could imagine an invasion, and then I realized that was what worried Larsa the most. So many airships, especially military ones, could simply fire at the buildings and cause chaos. Luckily, this was not the case. All delegates were invited here to solve problems diplomatically.<p>

It was about half past two, when I spotted the Rozarrian Imperial Flagship, the _Kirin_, in the heavens. At once my heart started to race. I was still changing into my best dress, the beautiful, crimson one my father had given to me on my birthday last year. With the help of my servants, Wilna and Edith, I was able to complete my outfit in half the time. Emperor Larsa had also given me a golden ring and tiara, which I was required to wear during the assembly. Of course, I hesitated at first to wear the ring because it would tell the people I was formally engaged to the emperor, and I would not want Leosandro to notice. Yet, Larsa had told me it was only for show, and that I could wear it on the middle finger and it would hold no meaning in Archadian society.

Emperor Larsa and I entered a private airship, and rode it to the senate house. Upon arrival in the building, we were ambushed by the press. The emperor attracted the journalists like a magnet. There were flashes of light, and a sea of heads that encircled us. At once the imperial guards came and shooed the journalists to a safe distance.

"Keep close to me," instructed Larsa, and he took my hand.

The journalists kept on shoving their large cameras at my face, and I tried to smile at each and every one of them. Emperor Larsa tugged me, urging me to move forward with a quick pace. The human shields successfully managed to push back the crowd of reporters, but a single man was able to wiggle himself through the fence of imperials and get a candid shot of me while I was dazed by the flashes.

We were able to make it to the main hall without any further problems. At once the large doors of the chamber opened, and the trumpets sounded. The Archadian choir started to recite a national hymn, and all delegates rose from their seats and became statues. All eyes were on us. At an instant, the Larsa I knew had disappeared, and was replaced by the all-powerful Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor, the thirteenth ruler of the Archadian Empire. I tried my best to look as powerful as I could, as well. I did not want to be crushed by all the cold eyes of the international delegates. I raised my head and attempted to look like a true empress-to-be, flaunting off each step and sway of the hips I took. In my head I imagined myself to be a foolish pheasant trying to look like a magnificent peacock.

My plan had worked. I was able to survive the onslaught of piercing glares, and I managed to have a peace of mind once I reached the front row. I was given a nod by the judges and a few senators. I finally got some assurance that I had done everything right.

And so the Imperial Council had started. It kicked-off with the singing of the Archadian and Rozarrian national anthems, and an opening remark by the senatorial head. The main part of the council started at about five in the afternoon, when the sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows upon the tiers of seats in the main chamber. Emperor Larsa had talked about the reports of the slaughters from the supposed Jylland ships, and pointed out some names from the list of casualties. Judge Zargabaath was also there to back the emperor up, stating the amount of gil that was to spent on the relief operation given to the family of the victims. There were heated words from the Jyllanders, and a wave of whispers from the Rozarrians. Slowly, the aura of the council became to turn from joyful to irate and dark. The Archadian judges called for order every once in a while, for the representatives of many nations were starting to get impatient with one another.

I did not care one bit about their noise. I had my eyes on my family for most of the hearing. I glanced at my father, and Al-Cid, but I focused most on Lord Leosandro, seating in the second row. The love of my life was in the same room as I. There he sat, folding his arms, with a cocky smile slapped across this face. He smirked, nodded his head and looked at the Emperor Larsa. Oh, how he glared at the emperor so sadistically, as if he had a knife in his hand, ready for the kill. Leosandro, the most physically attractive man on this planet, was so close, yet so far. I wish I could get out of my seat and jump into his arms, but if I were to do that, then I'd be a goner, for sure.

The first half of the International Council was a blur. All I heard were heated words and some petty debates. Emperor Larsa looked exhausted, yet he was still able to maintain a regal disposition as he sat on his golden throne. Al-Cid gave kind words to the Archadian emperor, telling him not to worry about the situation, and that it is all about to be resolved. My father was much too focused to notice I was even there. The Jyllanders called for proof, and claimed that there was no such attack, and that they were innocent.

Time passed, until the first half of the council ended. Intermission time. Finally. I will now be able to stretch my arms and find my love, Lord Leosandro. Most of the delegates all exited the main hall and made their way to the area outside, where drinks and small cocktails were to be served. I remained inside the main hall, searching for Leosandro among the groups of people inside.

I could not find him.

I was about to join the others outside when I noticed Emperor Larsa was still on the throne. He sat there, looking tired and weary. A servant passed him a glass of water and some shrimp cocktail. Larsa took a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed it on his forehead, wiping the beads of sweat that ran down the sides of his face. I placed my hand abreast, and looked at him worriedly. I would love to see Lord Leosandro again. But I bet he could wait for a minute. I went up to the podium and bowed to the Archadian emperor.

"Are you well, my lord?" I asked Emperor Larsa.

He smiled faintly. "Yes, I am doing alright. You must be tired, Catalina. Go ahead and proceed outside. You must want to meet your family."

"Yes, I do," I told him. "Is it always like this, Emperor Larsa? Are these people always like this?"

"Well, most of the time," he replied. "Sometimes they can be even rowdier."

I frowned. "Well, I wish you the best of luck, my lord. I must go now and see to it that my father and brother meet me." I wished I could have told Larsa about Lord Leosandro, but it would not be right.

"Goodbye, Catalina," he said, and he touched my hand. "Thank you…"

I blushed. I walked away briskly, hoping to catch my father and brother outside.

There were many guests in the antechamber. The Archadians, Rozzarians and Jyllanders were conversing with one another. Many accents could be heard. I could hear the prim voices of the Archadian delegates, the loud and resonating laughs and comments of Rozarrian men and women, and the strange accents of the Jyllanders.

I wiggled my way through the crowds. A couple of servants offered me a drink, and some food, but I told them "no, thank you." And I continued to search for my father, brother and Leosandro.

Suddenly, someone grabbed me from behind, and pulled me close. I thought it was Leosandro, but apparently it was my foolish brother, Al-Cid. "Catalina! My darling sister! It is a pleasure to see you again!" he laughed heartily. "Come, come! Father and Lord Leosandro are waiting for you!"

"Waiting for me?" I asked him, smiling. "Where are they?"

And Al-Cid pushed through a sea of people so casually. I said sorry to all the people we had collided with. Finally my brother had stopped and pointed to a group of people. I saw my father, as majestic as ever, a few Rozzarian senators and…

"L-lord Leosandro," I said, my voice shaking. "Leosandro!"

And I ran to him, opening my arms. I felt tears of joy building up in my eyes. Oh, Leosandro! My dearest Leosandro is finally here! Has he come to save me? At once he hugs me and he pecks me on the cheek. I am finally in the arms of my dearest Leosandro!

"I have been waiting for you." Leosandro pushed me back a bit to look into my eyes.

Leosandro's eyes are dead and dark, devoid of all life.

"I don't understand…" I tell him. "Are you not happy to see me?"

He took my hand, and looked at the ring on my middle finger.

Suddenly, the darkness in his eyes turned into anger.


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note:_

_Hey Guys! _

_So, this is the last chapter I will upload before I go out of town._

_Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter as much as I did._

_In this chapter, love interests will start to build up, only later to be crushed by a force (?) *spoilers*_

_So keep on reading, guys! _

_And keep those **reviews** coming! _

_Lots of love,_

_~Airbendergal_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9:<strong>

"Are you not happy to see me, Leosandro?"

Lord Leosandro Fergaza, the man I had so loved and adored, stood before me, and looked at me like I was any other woman. He looked at me as if I was nothing special, like I did not mean anything to him.

"I am very happy to see you, Catalina," he said, and he looked at the ring on my finger. "It has been a very, very long time. You have started to…worry me. I searched all of Ambervale for you, and here you are, in the seat of the Archadian Empire."

I could not deny that there was a hint of hatred in his voice. But knowing my dearest Leosandro, he had always spoken that way. He was a fearless and strident orator; a narcissistic man who trusted no one but himself. Lord Leosandro was simply one of those men whose perfection could not be shared with any living thing on the planet. I was drawn to his perfection, and I cared little about the minute flaws he committed.

Lord Leosandro Fergaza was the most perfect creature ever created by Faram. He was everything a Rozarrian woman (or any other woman for that matter) could wish for. He was tall, dark and handsome. Leosandro had a perfect face with thick eyebrows, grey eyes, a strong nose and chin. He had wavy, long locks, which was tied back in a pony tail. What made him most attractive was that he had a strong built and the body of a bronze god. My dear Leosandro was a military leader, and head of the Department of Interpersonal Connections, which meant that he had many allies both nationally and internationally.

"Catalina, my daughter," said my father, Edelmiro XI. "Oh, how I have missed you!"

"Father," I said, and gave him a hug. Then I kissed him on the cheek. "I have missed you all so dearly, father. How are mama, my sisters and little Joseno? Are they all doing well?"

"Yes, yes, they are fine and in the best of health," replied my father, laughing. "Though, your mother had been crying a lot, recently, for she worries too much about you. I tell her that you are a strong, young woman and can handle all your problems. And your sisters ask me when you will return."

"I wish to return soon, father," I told him. "Living in Archades is such a big change. Everything here is so different. The people here are not as warm and friendly as the people in Ambervale. Everyone is so austere and mad all the time. These people do not know what it is to have fun."

"Hush, now!" exclaimed my father. "We do not want the Archadians to hear this conversation."

Al-Cid laughed, and hugged me from behind. "Now, now, Catalina! You must tell us of your husband-to-be, the Emperor Larsa! Our not-so-little friend has not been sending us news about your whereabouts. Has he treated you well?" And he laughed, as he ruffled my hair.

I pushed Al-Cid's hand away, and smiled. I could not talk freely, for Leosandro was in our presence. I wanted to tell Leosandro how much he was a better man than the emperor, but I would not dare speak ill of Emperor Larsa in front of my father and brother.

"Well, he is a very kind and gentle man," I explained. I could see Leosandro's look. It was not a happy one. "But he is very busy nowadays. This case, the Jyllanders' assault on the Archadian fleets, troubles him very much. Many innocent lives have been lost."

"The Jyllanders are crying foul," Al-Cid told us. "They claim to know nothing."

"We tried to look into the matter," my father added. "We've deployed a few squadrons, also, and we are currently awaiting their report. I shall talk to the Baron of Grazston and Moorabella and see if they know anything about the air raids. The baron of Goug claimed that he has no knowledge of who lead the attacks. The airships were not his, and that they were airships found in the northern regions of Jylland."

"So who ever has been controlling this group must have been doing it illegally," Leosandro said, folding his arms. "He must be very cunning to have done such tasks without being noticed."

"We are not yet certain which region the airships are from," Edelmiro XI told Leosandro. "Since we do not know much yet, we can't simply jump to conclusions that it is illegal. Perhaps someone from the north is trying to provoke Archadia."

"I do not even understand why, father!" Al-Cid exclaimed, flailing his arms about.

The delegates from other countries started to make their return to the main hall. The people grew sparse and diminished into a smaller number. My father and Al-Cid hastily made their way back inside. But Leosandro moved slowly, looking back at me.

Leosandro paused for a moment, and said, "We shall talk later."

"Yes, we shall," I answered him in faint voice. My heart was racing, yet I could not discern whether is raced for a right or wrong reason. I had mixed emotions about Leosandro coming to Archades. I could not say whether he looked happy or not.

And so, Leosandro entered the chamber. I was left outside with a few other delegates, some Archadians and Jyllanders. They socialized with me, asking me questions such as "you're the emperor's new wife?" and "what is it like, living in Archades?" I replied to them politely, stating that I was not the emperor's wife. Well, at least not yet. And I told them that living in Archades was great, but it was a whole different experience. I had lied about the latter question; I still hated Archades, no matter what.

The International Council continued for the next hour and a half. The people were less grumpy now, for their bellies had been temporarily filled. The Baron Beltorey of Jylland gave his side of the story, stating that the airships were definitely from his nation, but he testified that these ships were used without his knowledge and consent. This left the audience mumbling.

"Mummer!" called an Archadian delegate all too suddenly.

"How will you be able to compensate for the lives you have taken?" cried another.

The crowd erupted into a sea of heated words. People rose from their seats, raising and pointing their fingers; one Archadian delegate even got out into the aisle and started calling out names. The Rozarrians were the mediators during the assembly. They called for the diplomatic solution which they had come here for. Everyone started to get rowdy. Suddenly, it seemed like the International Council turned into an International Marketplace. I did not expect that lords and ladies could act so…inhuman. They yelled and shrieked, jumped and raised their fists. The Judge Magisters whacked their gavels, crying, "Order in the Court! Order!"

The people would not listen. The Jyllanders became aggressive.

"Accusations! Accusations!" They cried.

Everything seemed to get out of control.

"Silence!" boomed a loud, resonating voice.

It was Emperor Larsa. He struck his staff on the floor. "Silence!" Then, it was as if the Angel of Death* had passed. The whole court turned into statues, silent as the dead of night. All the bickering, the yelling, the gesticulations, had stopped. Everyone was petrified in the seats, cowering at the once-forgotten presence of Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor. He struck his staff once again. Then, he rose from his throne, mighty and majestic, like a lion rising from his slumber.

It was never until now that I noticed the sheer supremacy of Emperor Larsa.

A lion. That was what he was. A grand, magnificent beast, feared by many. He was powerful, fierce and solitary, yet at the same time he was gentle, noble and forgiving. He was the perfect ruler; as was the lion to his pride.

That was when I started to fear Emperor Larsa. This fear of mine, though, did not cause me to cower, but it caused me to respect him as an individual, and as a ruler. It was then when I came to truly accept my destiny as a princess of Rozarria, and the future wife of the emperor of Archadia.

Yet, my mind started to wonder if a powerful lion could handle a delicate rose.

* * *

><p>The International Council ended at about seven in the evening, and was followed by the gastronomic banquet that was to be held in the imperial palace. I could vaguely remember the outcome of the council, but I remembered that people were happy once it had ended. The feast was absolutely spectacular, and it boasted over forty dishes of pork, cockatrice, lamb, pheasant and fish. The guests drank and made merry. There was dancing, and singing and riddling. I had been beside the emperor for a great majority of the event. I could see that he was not troubled any longer, but he was blissful and ecstatic. At the long feast table, Emperor Larsa raised his goblet and called for a toast, and the thousands of people who joined him followed suit. Red wine swayed and spilled! The men laughed and cheered! It was a wonderful night, and I enjoyed the company of many people I did not even know.<p>

After the second quarter of the banquet, there was a dance intermission, and everyone was encouraged to step onto the dance floor. The stronger, healthier young men stood up immediately, taking random women from the seats and asked them for a dance. The emperor smiled as he panned the area, and saw that almost everyone was off their chairs. Even the older men, such as the senators invited their wives over for the banquet and joined in with the dancing.

"Catalina?" said Emperor Larsa.

"Yes, my lord?" I responded.

"Would you do the honors of dancing with me?" he asked, smiling.

I blushed, and looked away.

The emperor rose from his chair, and extended his hand. "Please, for me."

I looked at his hand for a few seconds, and then I took it. Then, we walked onto the dance floor. The Archadian Philharmonic Orchestra played one of the greatest waltzes of all time: the _Red Danbania_. It was an upbeat and fast paced waltz. The emperor placed his right hand over my waist and his raised his left palm. I placed my left hand on his right shoulder, and held his hand with my right. At once the music seemed to surround us. He stepped forward and I stepped back, and in no time I found myself in a blissful trance; all the world seemed to move about us, and I was only focused on him. Emperor Larsa's face was a bit red and he looked caught in the moment. He smiled and chuckled, and looked at me endearingly.

"I never knew you could dance, Emperor Larsa," I told him, laughing.

"Neither did I!" he exclaimed as he sent me turning.

I twirled, and my beautiful crimson dress bloomed like a rose.

The music shifted into a slow song, and we swayed. He kept his hands on my waist; I kept my hands on his shoulders. The whole world revolved around us like a kaleidoscope. I could not distinguish any person in particular, for I was dazzled by all the lovely hues that spun around us.

"Catalina, I must confess…" he begun to say, as he looked down at his shifting feet. "…I must confess…"

I looked at him worriedly.

"Catalina…You have become very special to me…" Larsa confessed, and his face turned a bright red. He cleared his throat. "I know, that, sometimes it may seem like…I do not care…but please know…that—"

"Ah, Catalina! Catalina!" a voice suddenly cut in.

At once the kaleidoscope stopped spinning, and the world returned to its dull form.

I looked back, and saw my Leosandro. He was on the dance floor, but with no partner. He cut through a few dancers, and came to us. He strutted pompously; his swagger intimidated me at first. But he came to me and took my hand, and kissed it, right in front of the emperor. I could see Larsa's eyes widen a bit.

"Ah, my dearest Catalina!" he said, and looked at Larsa. "And, ah, Your Excellency! It is a great honor to meet you in person! Catalina has told me much about you!"

"And…you are?" asked Emperor Larsa in a stern voice.

"Allow me to introduce myself," said Leosandro. "I am _the _Lord Leosandro Fergaza, head of the Bureau of Interpersonal Connections in Ambervale and sectoral leader of Rozarria's military." And he bowed his head.

"Ah, yes! Lord Leosandro," Larsa said. "You are just the man I wanted to meet."

I looked at Larsa, and then at Leosandro. I could see there was some tension in their glares.

Lord Leosandro smirked. "Hmm, yes! You, too, are the man I wanted to meet."

"Leosandro…" I said, in a soft voice.

"I hope I did not _intrude_," he stressed, as he took my hand. "But, if I may, your Excellency, I wish to talk to my Catalina for a while. It will only take a minute, my lord, and I shall return her to you."

Larsa frowned. "Very well, if it will only take a minute."

Leosandro grimaced at the emperor, and raised his head, boasting his perfect features to the man. Emperor Larsa clenched his fist. Leosandro _hmph_ed and walked away, dragging me along with him. I struggled to resist, but he was too strong. I only looked back at the emperor, who was still on the dance floor. After a few seconds a lady came up to Larsa and they started to dance. The music started to fade away, and so did the dazzling lights.


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys! What a surprise!  
>Airbendergal is actually writing again!<em>

_No need to fear, for the next chapter is here._

_I'll be able to upload now. __Apparently there is wifi in this hotel, so I can finally update! Oh thank goodness!_

_I thought I would not have internet for weeks. Good thing I was wrong. (Happy Late April Fool's Day?)_

_Now here's a little seductive chapter for you guys. _

_It's a bit shorter than the others, but it is one of the high points of the story. Hope you enjoy._

_Reviews would be yummy. :)_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

The dazzling lights and sounds had faded away, slowly, like stars in the night sky. Leosandro and I walked through the antechamber, and down through a hallway. The colonnades casted long shadows on the floor, and at night the palace looked like a haunted house. There were busts of past Archadian emperors, which included a bust of Larsa's father, Emperor Gramis. I was scared that all the statues would come to life, and luckily they did not. As we walked, Leosandro glared at me. His eyes, which were once filled with so much life, was now devoid of any existence. They were grey and cold like the Paramina Rift. I glanced at him from time to time, but I did not look him straight in the eye.

He stopped; as did the world. We were far from sight, and the only light came from the full moon. There were silvery streaks on the side of his body, and embossed his perfect features. Leosandro looked in all directions and then said, "they are gone." He went behind me, and started stroking my wavy, raven locks. Leosandro sighed, and slowly he held my hair, then parted into two. He leaned closer…and pressed his lips on the back of my neck. His kissed it slowly.

At this gesture, I felt a bit disgusted. In my heart I had longed for my Leosandro to return. Now that he was here, and even if he had shown me a bit of affection, I felt no ounce of passion. I closed my eyes, and a chill ran down my spine. Leosandro then knelt down and kissed my hand, then looked at the ring on my finger.

"You're still wearing it, I see…" he said. He tried to slip it out of my finger, but before he could do so, I withdrew my hand and subtly wiped it at the back of my dress.

I found no words. "Lord Leosandro…I…" was all I could say.

His eyes dilated, and his voice became rusty and seductive. "Ah, Catalina…I have missed you…It seems that you do not feel the same…" And he stood up, straightening all the creases on his pants and vest. "It seems that, after a month that we were apart, that emperor has stiffened you."

"Nonesense," I smirked. "Larsa is not that way. Lord Leosandro…"

"Enough with the formalities," he snapped. "You've been influenced by these Archadians. Look at them, the sick lot of them. They are so strict and unpleasant! They are very lousy companions. Now look at you. You've become as petrified as they are. You do not even care to share a kiss?"

He pursed his lips and leaned in closer. I stepped back immediately, leaving him in a strange position. He pulled back his head, and frowned. "I see…"

"Leosandro this is silly…" I said, and I started to walk back to the ballroom.

The lord grabbed my wrist and tugged me. "Tell me why I am silly, Catalina."

I did not speak, and tried to wriggle my wrist out of his hand. I could not do it.

"Who do you think is better? Me or that _Archadian_?" He asked, and squeezed my wrist. "Do not tell me that you choose an _Archadian_ over your own kind, Catalina."

"You speak ill of the Archadians," I hissed. I jerked my hand free from his grasp.

"And you speak of them like they are good people," Leosandro retorted. "Have you forgotten that those people were the ones who took away our main livelihood? They were the ones who put us in the sorry state we are in! Most of our oil, Catalina, is gone because of the Archadians. When they conquered Dalmasca, they took away the oil rigs we established, and our territory had decreased immensely. Now look at the Urutan-Yensa sandsea! It is long since gone. There's nothing left there except for a few rusted pipes."

"You cannot blame Emperor Larsa for the things that his predecessors have done," I looked at Leosandro with remorse, my wrists throbbed vigorously. "The man has done nothing."

"Yes! The man has not done anything at all!" Leosandro scoffed. "He does not even show you love! He never handled you with care! If you marry him, you will live a lonely life. If you become my wife, I will offer you a life of happiness."

My life…I want it to be filled with happiness.

"A rose, Catalina; that is what you are. Because of people like him, roses grow stiff and wither. Now tell me, Catalina, has he kissed you?" said Leosandro.

"N-no," I replied.

"Does he even want to marry you?"

At those words, I thought of what the emperor had been trying to tell me earlier.

_Catalina, you have become very special to me…_

I blushed, tried to change the subject. "And yet, even a man like you must take caution with handling a rose," I said. "For roses have thorns."

"Then allow me to cut those thorns," Leosandro said in his seductive voice. The rasp of his voice was like gravel. He sighed again, stretched his arms and caught my waist. The thin hairs on my arm started to stand. His fingers started to crawl up my torso, slowly, until I could feel something just under my breast.

_Slap!_

I whacked his hand and pushed it away. I turned around to face him, my eyes filled with hot tears. Did he think of me as some sort of whore? At once I could see his true form. He was no brilliant, scholarly lord, but nothing more than a perverted pig! The image of Lord Leosandro Fergaza, the man that I once loved, was now shattered and corrupted, like broken glass.

"You!" I yelled. "You are not the man I once adored!"

Leosandro groaned. "Catalina, please!"

"You sick, perverted man! How can you even expect me to love a man like you!" My voice was loud. I started to explode like the Roda Volcano. "Emperor Larsa is a kind and gentle man, and respects me like no one has ever done before! He is a just ruler. He is a lion! Noble and majestic! He is not some sort of pig, like you! You think you can win me back with your actions? I will not accept you! You used to be a noble man, and a brilliant one!"

"Is this your fate, Catalina? You are just going to stay here, and follow your father's orders? You told me once that one's life is based on one's decisions. And now you are eating your own words! You follow your father like a pet. This emperor cannot offer you a family, if he has none in the first place! He is a lion, as you say, forever alone. The only companions he has are Loneliness and Sadness. He will never make you happy. But I! I, Leosandro Al-Vibora Fergaza, can offer you a family! And you will be my queen, and rule by my side."

"This love of yours…is a physical love!" I yelled. "It is mortal, and weak. The love you give is a love that is ephemeral. If you continue to treat women like this, then you will never find a true lover. The love and happiness that I want…cannot come from your mortal ideas. It comes from deep within the heart."

"That Archadian emperor has poisoned your thoughts. He will tear you apart…petal by petal…"

"Be silent! Leosandro Fergaza, be silent!" I cried, as tears wormed down my cheeks.

"If you do not want to give me your heart, then I shall take it by force," he smiled. This smile turned into a frown afterwards. "If you continue with this marriage, Catalina, I swear on my own grave, that there _will_ be war."

"What?" I gasped.

The lord did not respond. He had walked away and sooner disappeared like a phantom in the night. And I ran after him, leaving a trail of silver tears behind me.


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys! This is Airbendergal!  
>Here's another update for you guys, I hope you enjoy it.<em>

_Being isolated from the rest of the world is pretty...boring...so here is another chapter to keep myself entertained._

_In this chapter, foreshadowing is shown through Catalina's dreams. _

_As Gabranth returns to Archades, he brings along a few old friends that Larsa recognizes all too well._

_Ooh...time to play the jealousy game._

_Reviews would be great! ^ ^ Thanks!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11:<strong>

_If you continue with this marriage, Catalina, I swear on my own grave, that there will be war._

These words stuck to my mind like a leech, feeding off the only pleasant memories I had had with the emperor. Almost every night I had seen Leosandro in my dreams. He laughs and he hollers, and grabs at my body. His eyes are hollow, his nose is crooked and his teeth are broken. I had dreams of shattered glass, blood stained swords and flashing lights. The strangest dream I had was one of Emperor Larsa. He was riding a red dragon, holding a hammer. He struck the serpent on the head, and the beast shattered into a thousand shards. Each of the shards turned into tongues of fire, and rained down from the heavens.

I could tell these dreams were omens. They meant suffering, war and death. Leosandro had left the impression that marrying Emperor Larsa was not worth it. If I were to marry the emperor, Leosandro would wage war, and all of our efforts would be in vain. People would be slaughtered and killed, and fear would take over the hearts of the weak.

Yet I could not understand Leosandro's scheme. His war was his own. He had average influence in Rozarrian political society, but he had many connections, both in military and government offices. I doubted that he could persuade my father, or anyone for that matter. Though Leosandro held little power over the government, he felt superior to many people, perhaps even the emperor. Lord Leosandro was a boastful being. Because of this, it lead him to do many reckless things.

A few days had passed since the International Council. The palace had returned to its boring state. Everyone returned to their normal duties, so (again) I was left alone with nothing to do. I had done almost everything in the palace; there was not much to do. I had gone ballroom dancing, food tasting, portrait-making, pottery shaping, and even choral singing.

The emperor and I had grown closer to each other, and I found him to be a very interesting man. There was just something about him…I did not know what. I did not have to point out his intelligence or his physical appearance (as I did to Leosandro), but I knew that everything he had had a moderation to it. He was not to short, or tall, not to thin, or fat; he was _just right_. He was very comfortable, to say. We continued to dine with each other for every breakfast and dinner. Larsa spent his lunch at the senate building, with the senators and magisters. During those meals when we were together he talked about pleasant things such as the festival in Balfonheim and the new scientific discoveries of the Draklor Laboratories II. During those talks I also spoke of my family and Rozarria.

"I hear your birthday is coming up soon…" I told him, as I took a bite out of my ham.

He seemed flattered to hear me say this. Larsa looked up and smiled. "Yes, indeed."

"That is great…" I commented, but the man did not seem very enthusiastic about his special day. "What do you intend to do? Throw a birthday bash?"

"Nothing special, really," Larsa smiled faintly, and he played around with his peas. He thought for a while, as he twisted his fork in his fingers. After some time his eyes lit up. "Ah! I have a splendid idea."

"Yes?"

"On my birthday, we shall have dinner in a very special place," Larsa explained. "And then I will show you one of my most prized possessions."

"Oh?" I asked. "What is it? This prized possession of yours?"

"A secret," he replied curtly.

I sighed. "You know, you keep many secrets."

The man laughed, and he looked at me with his dark blue eyes. "I shall be turning twenty this year," and he said this with much conviction. "And it has been a long time since I have done something special on my birthday. Because of you, my birthday will be very entertaining."

"You find me entertaining?" I asked him, and I furrowed my brow.

"Yes, you are very entertaining."

"You don't seem entertained."

"I feel many things. It is only a matter whether I wish to show them or not."

"Well you should show them more," I told him. I reached out and touched his hand. Emperor Larsa looked at me, his face a bit red. "If you walked with a happier disposition, then you would make for an excellent man."

"Do you think I am excellent, Catalina?"

"No," I replied bluntly. "But as of now you are in a very comfortable range."

"I am glad!" he exclaimed, and withdrew his hand. "You're still wearing the ring?"

"Ah, yes," I replied, and showed him my other hand. "Here it is."

"This ring…it belonged to my mother. My father gave it to her when she was still a maiden," Larsa explained. He asked me to bring my hand closer so that he could examine it. The beautiful, intricate ruby ring sparkled brightly, brighter than any ring I had ever worn in my life. "You may have it, if you want."

"But this is your mother's! It does not belong to me…" I felt ashamed. I removed the ring from my finger and placed it on my palm. "Please, return it to your mother's possessions."

The emperor curled my fingers, and closed my hand. He kept his hand on top of mine. "No, please. I insist that you keep it. I think that it looks very beautiful on you, Catalina."

"Thank you…" I said, and I placed it back on my middle finger.

* * *

><p>After lunch, we had gotten news that Judge Gabranth had returned to the palace in the new <em>Carbuncle<em>. The emperor and I hastily made out way down to the imperial hangar. A great airship was berthed in the hangar, and a few guards were already stationed in front of the gangplank of the flying machine. Judge Gabranth exited the airship, and spotted us immediately. At once he bowed and said, "My lord."

"Gabranth," Larsa replied. "Thank the gods that you are safe."

"The report, my lord." Gabranth reached deep into his armor and pulled out a torn envelope. "This is all I could salvage, Emperor Larsa. Forgive me, my lord. The Jyllanders…they…were all around us, shooting at us in every direction. It was a full-scale assault."

"There is no need for this report any longer, Gabranth," the emperor told him, and got the torn folder. Inside there were a few documents, some torn and burnt. "But thank you for your efforts. And I must commend you for staying with the _Carbuncle_ and taking care of the other wounded soldiers. How are the casualties?"

"I'm afraid we lost two light cruisers, my lord. We sustained a moderate amount of casualties. There are at least thirty reported dead and forty more reported missing," Gabranth explained. "I suffered a broken wrist, and some hematomas, but it is nothing serious, my lord. And what of the International Council?"

"Ah yes, it has gone well," Larsa replied. "We had come to a diplomatic agreement."

I did not remember the conclusion of the International Council, so I listened well.

"It came to our attention that postponing the marriage would be hazardous," Larsa continued. "There have been already a number of large battles between Archadian, Jyllander and Rozarrian units. The Jyllanders agreed to be our allies as well…if our marriage would be in the next five months. Once the countries have allied, then we came to an agreement that two percent of all our agricultural income will go to the funding of Jylland's new educational project."

"Married in five months?" My eyes widened at the thought of that. Perhaps that is why I chose to forget what had happened during the international council. In four months, I would be turning eighteen, and would be of age to marry freely. "That was the deal?"

"Yes," Larsa looked at me with a serious face. "Do you have any objections?"

I kept quiet, and blushed.

"There are some people that you have to thank, though, my liege," Gabranth said to the emperor, with a cocky grin on his face. "With their expertise in hijacking, we were able to capture a Jylland airship before it was able to escape. We took the liberty of kidnapping a few of the workers on board, in order to interrogate them and to further the investigation."

"Now, now, Gabranth. You are making us look like the villains. Who are these people?" Emperor Larsa asked, and raised his head, trying to peer down to the gangplank. There were a few more people who were descending from the airship. From my point of view I could only see two blonde heads bobbing up and down. "I must thank them, then."

Gabranth moved aside so that the emperor could see the "saviors" clearly.

I gazed at the beings. There were two of them, a woman and a man. The woman was about my size, full bodied and long-legged. The man was tall and muscular, and very dirty looking. I looked at Larsa and wondered if he recognized the two. Emperor Larsa's eyes started to widen, and I wondered why. Perhaps he knew who those people were.

"Hey! Look there! Is that Larsa?" the blonde man told the woman.

"Larsa!" The blonde woman ran towards the emperor, her arms wide open. Her one, long braid bobbled up and down like a stiff stick as she scurried closer. "Larsa! It is you!" The woman almost _tackled _the man for Faram's sake! How could she act so rowdy in front of the emperor? Where was her basic courtesy? She placed her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Larsa…it's been so long! We've missed you so much!"

The emperor smiled warmly and patted her back. I could see absolute bliss in his eyes.

"It is wonderful to see you again, Penelo."


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Note:_

_Hello People! I'm finally back in the Philippines!_

_Yehey! Now I can really get back on the story._

_So far during my vacation, I've accomplished at least three chapters._

_Hope you'll enjoy this chapter. It's mostly of Larsa, Penelo and Vaan._

_Keep on reading!_

_And more R and R please!_

_~Airbendergal_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12:<strong>

Penelo and Vaan, as Emperor Larsa had told me, were his close friends from Dalmasca. Larsa did not bother to tell me anything else about them, so it was up to me to find out more about these two sky pirates. I had definitely heard of this Penelo woman. She was Larsa's past lover. She was definitely beautiful, and had a bubbly disposition. There was something so refreshing about her, though I could not put my finger on it. I could tell she was a "fun" person; she loved to smile. Emperor Larsa was drawn to her, for some reason, and I was determined to find out why.

When it came to comparing myself with other women, the verdict was pretty simple. I was just the better one. Of course I had always said this with much bias, but in my opinion I thought I was right. It was not just me, but all Rozarrian women that were better than this lady. There was just something about Rozarrian women that made us stand out from all the other women in the planet! Men did not fall for our somewhat exaggerated curves, but they were drawn to our fiery personality. There was sugar, but mostly spice, in our character. We were feisty, aggressive and a bit seductive. I could not see why this Penelo did so little to attract the emperor once in the past. I gave her a chance to appear acceptable in my eyes.

The man, Vaan, was large and muscular. For a man his age he was somewhat immature, rowdy and even stinky! He had a stubbly chin, messy hair, soiled sleeves and worn-out boots. Even though he acted like a seeq, I found it to be very entertaining. He loved to tell jokes and tease around with Emperor Larsa. Like magic, Vaan was able to get Larsa to laugh. And when the emperor did laugh, it was almost scary, as if he was choking. Vaan called me "miss" instead of "lady" or any noble title.

When Larsa was with his companions, he acted very differently. He acted like a twelve year old! The emperor was jolly, lest restrained, playful, and even childish! He would chuckle and laugh, and did not mind when Vaan punched him lightly on the shoulder. The emperor tried his best, I could tell, to appear charming to these people. Larsa had a very dry sense of humor, but he tried his best to crack some of his witty jokes. I have to confess that they were not funny at all. But the two sky pirates would laugh and make gesticulations, and their faces turned red and gay. Penelo and Vaan seemed to be very close. They sat next to each other almost every time, and Vaan would put his arm over Penelo shoulder.

When people say that three is a crowd, I must agree. That day I had felt a bit out of place, and tried to shy away from my partner's friends. I felt as if they were so close, and I did not want to get in their way.

"Please, Miss Catalina!" Vaan cried, as Larsa made his way to his desk. "Come Join!"

Larsa smiled. "Yes, Catalina, please come and sit with us," he said in his sweet and innocent voice. "We were just about to discuss the previous air raid."

The emperor seemed so jolly to discuss something so macabre. He seemed to be getting along swimmingly with his buddies. It was such a rare occasion to see him this happy. I wished that he was always as happy as this when he was alone with me.

Penelo pulled up two chairs across the emperor's desk. "Sit here, Lady Catalina." And she smiled as I took my seat beside her. I faced about, folding my arms. I held my head up high, and at an instant the arrogance inside me took over.

"Thank you," I replied coldly.

Emperor Larsa opened his cabinet and withdrew some papers from inside his desk. He placed it gently upon the table and browsed through it. His eyes moved swiftly as he scanned through the documents. "This is the latest report from the Bureau of Intelligence," he explained. And he held up a paper. "Those two Jyllanders you have caught, Vaan, are currently being held in the Ward. It is Archadia's toughest penitentiary."

"Hah! Yeah! We beat the pulp out of them, didn't we, Penelo!" Vaan exclaimed, and he raised his arms. "You should have seen it, Larsa! We were cruising around the area of after hearing rumors of a cache found in the Kithli Sands. When we saw that some Archadian airships were being attacked, we rushed in and drove those Jylland ships away! There were five of them, you see. And the _Carbuncle_ had already taken out one and a half!"

"A half, Vaan?" Penelo asked. "Pshaww! You can't take half of an airship out, dear."

"Hey, quiet! I'm telling the story!" Vaan hissed. "Anyway, we were previously on the run from some Jyllander assassins. We were framed, for killing the Baron Beltorey. But he isn't even dead!"

"The Baron Beltorey was at the International Council," I butted in.

There was awkward silence. Smooth move, Catalina.

"Council?" asked Penelo.

"Oh, ah yes! The council," Larsa said. "A few days ago, I convened an international council. A council is when leaders from other countries gather together in one place to discuss important political matter."

"That's amazing!" Penelo exclaimed.

She probably did not know what a council was, if I am not mistaken. She got very impressed over the smallest of things. But what I hated about her was that infatuated look that she gave to Larsa! It was still quite obvious that she had feelings for the man.

Penelo faced me. "You know, when we first met Larsa, he was just a kid," she told me, and giggled. "He was so small back then, even smaller than I was!"

I raised my brow and looked at the subject of her talk.

"He was definitely smarter than I was!" Vaan snorted.

"And he still is," Penelo retorted, and placed her hands on her hips. "Vaan's the most simple-minded being on the planet. It's absolutely horrible to take him as a husband."

"Hah, yeah," Vaan rejoined. "And yet you still wake up every morning just to make my breakfast, doncha, Penelo?"

Larsa seemed to be confused with all the fast talking that the sky pirates did. "Um…excuse me, but did you say that you were-"

Just before he could finish the sentence, Judge Gabranth entered the room with two lower house judges. "My lord." Gabranth bowed. "The Jyllanders are ready for further inquiries at the interrogation room. We may make leave for the Ward immediately."

"Very well, we shall," replied Emperor Larsa. And he looked at me. The man stood up and extended his arm so that I could hold it. "Come along, Catalina."

I stood up and took his arm. We allowed the guests to go first. Penelo and Vaan walked briskly down the hall. Suddenly, Penelo fumbled, and almost slipped across the marble. Good thing Gabranth caught her in time!

"Phew!" Penelo breathed. "Thanks, Basch!"

"Shhh!" Vaan hissed again.

"Oh, ah, I mean, Gabranth!" blushed Penelo. "Sorry, dear."

"You are very welcome, Penelo," The judge replied with a happy tone of voice.

Penelo looked at her hand and breathed a faint curse. She got down on the floor like a dog would, and started patting at the ground. "Great," she mumbled. "My ring's gone."

"Ah, I told you that ring was trouble. It doesn't even fit your finger!" Vaan rang.

"You were the one who gave it to me! So go ahead and try to find it!"

I looked down at my feet. Just a few inches in front of me there was a glint on the ground. I bent down and picked up a tiny, circular object. "Is this the ring you're looking for?" I asked Penelo.

"Oh, yes! That's it! Thanks a lot, Lady Catalina!" Penelo grinned. She took the ring from me and placed it on her finger. It was very loose on her finger. With one flick, that ring would have gone flying. Penelo sighed. "You know Vaan went through so much trouble getting this ring. It's a good thing I married him in the end."

The emperor was shocked. "You're married now, Penelo?"

"Ah, now that you mentioned it, we are!" Vaan suddenly answered. And he kissed Penelo on the cheek. The woman pushed Vaan away, and then smudged her face. "We've been married for eight months now, actually."

"You know, it doesn't seem like we're married at all really," Penelo sighed. "I've been so used to Vaan messing everything up. It's second nature for me to clean up after his mess. But don't you worry, I'm completely used to it."

The emperor's heart sunk. "I see…"

I grinned, feeling good about myself.

"Larsa, we're sorry that we didn't tell you at once," Penelo said. "It's just that sending you messages have been very hard nowadays. And ever since last year, you haven't been replying to any of our letters…"

"Forgive me, Penelo," Larsa looked to the ground. "Things have gotten a bit out of hand here in Archades. Life has been unforgiving to me…"

"No need to apologize, Larsa!" Vaan rejoined. "At least we're here now. We sould enjoy the moment! So what d'you say? We'll beat the information out of this Jylland rat!"

Larsa sighed, and then smiled faintly. "Vaan…you are still the same after all these years."

And from the tone of his voice, I could tell that the emperor wished he could say the same for himself.


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's Note:_

_Kumusta! (That's hello in Filipino)_

_In this dark chapter, you'll find some weird language, so don't raise those eyebrows of yours when you see it._

_I totally made it up, but I hope it's credible enough to sound like a language._

_This chapter is macabre, and it shows the true Archadian torture._

_What better way to get information out of someone than through flogging?_

_And...there's a huge plot twist. _

_See art for this chapter on my deviantart: airbendergal deviantart_

_~Airbendergal_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>:

"We did not do anything! We swear!"

"Silence!"

"But we didn't!"

_Crack!_ The sound of a whip.

We had entered the Ward, Archadia's toughest detention center. The ward was located miles away from Archades, on a solitary island in the middle of the ruthless Northern Naldoan Sea. The travel took us an hour and a half, and by the time we arrived I was completely exhausted. Emperor Larsa, on the other hand, was still energetic.

The Ward was a dismal and dark place. First, we were greeted by a massive, seven storey high perimeter wall which was crowned with rings of barbed wire. The compound was old and decaying: all the doors and windows (there were only a handful of them) were rusted. The cement foundations near the water were slowly eroding into the sea. This structure had been built in the year 602, the year of the first Solidor emperor. During his reign, the Ward was used as a torture house for people who were against the ruler's regime. The Ward was a place for the worst of the worst, the evil cream of the crop. The prisoners inside were feared by everyone; they were the villain's villains. There were serial killers, rapists, bombers, sky pirates and the like. Though their treatment at the Ward was inhumane, it was nevertheless swift. Vacancy was easily accommodating. After four days in the Ward, detainees would be hanged at the gallows.

The four of us were escorted by Judge Gabranth down into the dungeons of the prison. The place smelled foul, of rotting corpses and feces. The passageway we took was long and horrible. Skeletons, and people who resembled skeletons, stretched their arms out of the bars of their cell. They attempted to claw at us, and one man even caught the edge of my dress. He pulled me near and yelled. "Let me out!" he screamed. And Larsa looked back. At once he ordered Gabranth to push the man back.

We had entered the interrogation room, a small chamber in the middle of the dungeons. There were two veiled men in the middle of the room. They were stripped, bound on the hands and feet, and were beaten to a ripe pulp. Blood ran down their backs; they had been flogged intensely. The prison warden was at the back, holding a _Cat o' nine tails_ whip.

"The Jyllanders, my lord," bowed Gabranth.

Emperor Larsa frowned. "Unveil them."

The prison warden stripped off the black veil from their heads to reveal their faces.

My jaw dropped, and my heart skipped a beat. "Gods of the sky…"

These men were not Jyllanders. They were Rozarrians.

* * *

><p>"Where are you from?" asked Judge Gabranth sternly.<p>

The two men did not answer.

"Who are you working for, Jyllander?"

Still, no response.

"A flogging!" cried the Judge Magister, and he raised his finger to signal the prison warden. The warden took out his whip and cracked it at the mens' backs. Ten rounds for one man, and ten rounds for the other! The larger Rozarrian man, with a dark complexion, let out a blood-curdling scream. And red erupted from his backside.

"Has your tongue been cut off?" Judge Gabranth grasped the smaller man's head. "Answer!"

The Rozarrian let out a small groan. And he exchanged glances with his partner. One of them was about to speak, but then his voice trailed off at the sound of a whip.

"Another round!" cried the judge.

There was a fusillade of whipping noises that was eaten up by screams. Blood spluttered on the floor. The cat o'nine tails stripped off flesh and blood from the men's back. I could see the grown men tearing up. I felt absolute sympathy for them, yet I knew they had to be punished. But…not in this way! Surely the Archadians could punish them in a less cruel way! The emperor and judge did not seem to know that these two men were Rozarrian. They slashed the Rozarrians like animals at a circus! It was absolutely sadistic! I could take it no more.

"Stop! Stop!" I cried, and ran in front of the emperor. "You will not get any answers this way!"

The prison warden readied his whip for another round, but the emperor raised his hand to signal him to stop. Emperor Larsa looked at me and sighed. He was all ears.

"These men are not Jyllanders!" I exclaimed. "They…are Rozarrian!"

The monarch's eyes widened.

"_Hehehe…ya maska _Archadians_ yel dosa_," snickered one of the Rozarrian men. _Hehehe…those Archadians found out._

"What are they saying?" Emperor Larsa inquired.

I did not respond.

"_Pol qui joje yel dose_," said the smaller man. _But you can understand us…_

"They are talking in Old Rozarrian," I told the others.

Vaan breathed a curse. "Tell us who you're working for, you bastards!" He was about to punch one of the men, when Penelo had grabbed his fist.

"Easy now, Vaan!" she cried.

"_Hel quiblo iadora sel matte revora_," replied the larger man. _We're working for a very special person…_

"They say they are working for a very special person," I translated. And I looked at the two men. "_Sel Quono? _For who?"

"_Al Chyd vete Rozarria_," replied the second man. _A true lord of Rozarria_.

_"Quono? A quono?"_ I asked.

The two men did not answer. They only smiled evilly and looked at each other.

"Why are they smiling?" Larsa asked. "What is so funny?"

"I'll knock that smile right off your face!" Vaan yelled. And he managed to punch the larger Rozarrian in his abdomen. The man groaned, and coughed out some blood.

"Do not hurt him, he is already badly injured!" I cried.

"Sorry…" Vaan showed his teeth, and shied away.

The second Rozarrian spoke up. "_Emplayra sel kose iadora sel zula el ojoy parija_."

"Tell the emperor that blue and red flags shall meet," I translated.

Emperor Larsa came closer.

"_Krono sel aspa tono walja vibaro lo_."

"The crown shall be placed on the second serpent's head."

"_Sel dosa torre kadida sel marid_."

"The tower mighty and the city shall fall."

"_Kuras sel pasade et Fira_."

"A clash of swords and fire."

"_Mada…sel puso tono iadoro…olan."_

_And I will have her heart…in the end._ I could not say it. My lips trembled. The silence around me echoed and resonated. The irritating smell gave me a headache. I could hear each heartbeat, each drop of blood as it dripped and painted the floor. "And I…will win the battle in the end," I lied.

The emperor frowned. He came closer to the larger Rozarrian, and bent down. And he stared into his black, beady eyes. The emperor's stare was so intense that the prisoner would have turned to stone. Larsa spoke in his deep, dark voice. "Why? Why are you killing all these innocent people?"

The gory man laughed, as blood and froth foamed in his mouth. His eyes became a bright red, and he seemed to shake. He was dying, and dying quick. Yet, he still had the strength to speak.

"Archadian!" the man yelled, and he spat at Emperor Larsa's face.

Everyone in the room gasped at the Rozarrian's gesture.

"How dare you!" cried Judge Gabranth. "Your head shall fall!"

"Gabranth, silence!" Larsa held out his hand. "The man is saying something…"

"_Emplayra sel kose iadora quote al chyd _Leosandro_ segiv il quadaro_," and the bigger Rozarrian took his dying breath. Blood escaped from his nostrils, and dripped onto his hairy chest.

The other Rozarrian man screamed and rocked in his seat. His blood sprinkled on the walls and floor. The prison warden took hold of him, and strangled him like a cockatrice. Other soldiers flooded into the room and seized the male. They spirited him away.

There were tears in my eyes. Those Rozarrian men were being treated like animals! But then, I thought of what they had done, and how many people they had killed. And I thought of Leosandro, and how he wished the emperor luck. These Rozarrians were Leosandro's allies, and were sent here to deliver his message.

_Tell the emperor that blue and red flags shall meet. The crown shall be placed on the second serpent's head. The tower mighty and the city shall fall. A clash of swords and fire. And…I will have her heart in the end._

It was all in Leosandro's plan.

The emperor got back on his feet, and wiped his face. He looked at me with a miserable face. "Now come along, Catalina," the emperor told me. "The hour is late…and we must retire."

I took his hand, and he brought me along. Emperor Larsa stroked my back sympathetically.

"Where are they taking him?" I asked the emperor.

My partner did not reply. He only looked back at two empty chairs, where the Rozarrian men once sat. A starburst of red splotches dotted the floor.

A lion, like Emperor Larsa, is capable of being a cold-blooded beast.


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's Note:_

_Hey there, guys! Airbendergal here!_

_I've been getting tons of inspiration for my story, so here's the next chapter._

_I think this chapter's so sweet._

_And it marks the beginnings of true love. (cue the 'aww's)_

_So, keep on reading you lovebirds!_

_Reviews would be awesome._

_Lots and lots of love,_

_~Airbendergal_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14:<strong>

By the next afternoon we had gotten news that the second Rozarrian detainee had been beheaded, and his head had been tossed into the ocean. To die in this way was a cruel and irrational fate, but it had been chosen by him, I suppose, to serve a master who fed nothing but agony and grief. The first Rozarrian man, who had died during the exchange of our questions, on his dying breath he muttered a "Tell the emperor Lord Leosandro sends his regards." Leosandro, O Leosandro! That twisted and cruel man! He sent his men to fight for him? But for what cause? They kill and murder, only to attract attention? They die to pull my heartstrings? Does Lord Leosandro think that by taking all these lives I would be bound to his affection? No! Never! I would never return to him, not unless he would slit my chest and pull out my heart! Only then he would be satisfied.

"We cannot allow more deaths," Larsa told us.

The sun was low in the heavens. The sky was a bloody red.

"And yet, you slaughtered two of my kind," I retorted, and faced about. "You slaughtered them like animals! Do you think that these people are creatures? They are exactly like you and I! And I was wretched to have watched such interrogation. You should have left me back here!"

The two sky pirates looked at each other, and mumbled.

"He left me no choice," Larsa frowned, and sat down on his throne. "Catalina, these men, these Rozarrians were illegally operating Jylland airships. This could be the case for all of the assaulters. It is even worse than I feared." The emperor massaged his forehead, and placed on a bitter face.

"I am as surprised as the next person in this room," I remarked.

"What shall I tell the senate?" Larsa sobbed. "Shall I inform them that our allies are the ones responsible for the assault? They will not accept this!"

"Oh let those frigid men speak! There's nothing we can do now…"

I shook my head in disbelief. This could not be happening. Perhaps all of this was just a dream, a nightmare! Perhaps later I would wake up and find myself in the arms of the old Leosandro. I tried to pinch myself, but I would not wake up. I tried to close my eyes and count to three, and bite my lower lip. And yet, it did not work!

"For a while this shall remain in secrecy. Gabranth should be able to pass the information to his bureau for further investifation," Larsa explained. "As of now, the only thing we could decipher was the message that you have translated. This message...do you have any idea who sent it, Catalina?"

"Err…it escapes me," I lied again, and blushed. "They did not say anything."

"Hmm…very well," and Larsa placed a knuckle to his chin.

"I could have beaten the information right out of that guy!" Vaan exclaimed, and he punched the air. "I swear he was gonna say something when I punched him in the gut!"

"Yeah, that something would be _ugghhh_," Penelo teased. "The sound of pain."

"I am very glad that we had your translation skills," Larsa smiled. "Without your translation and knowledge for Old Rozarrian, we would never had known what they said."

Yes, _my_ translation, indeed.

"Whoever is planning these assaults is a true mastermind…one who could easily break through military bounds without being noticed. How could he have deployed that fleet without drawing attention at the least? To deploy a regiment of that size at such an amount of time is quite frightening. We must have underestimated this person."

My heart started to pump vigorously.

"Blast these murderers!" the emperor cried, and banged his fists on the table. He was definitely angered, I could tell. I could see the veins that ran across his face. "They manage to slip through even the smallest gap."

I pulled up a chair next to him. "You should retire, my lord, there is nothing else to do for the night. If you stay in this room it will only cause you more agony, I fear," and I placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you for your concern," Emperor Larsa sighed. And he stood up.

Penelo and Vaan looked at him sadly.

"Larsa, if there's anything that we can do…" Penelo said softly.

There was a silence.

"Yes," Larsa replied. And his eyes lit up. "Yes, actually, there is something that you can do for me, my dearest friends."

"What?" asked Vaan.

"Penelo," Emperor Larsa said, and he faced the man. "And Vaan. I know it is a lot to ask, but I want you to go to Rozarria. Proceed to Ambervale and find out as much information as you can about these assaults. I'm sure that rumors are spreading about this, not only in Archadia but the other nations as well. Any information that you have take notice of, any minute detail, anything…write us a letter. And here, please, take this with you."

The emperor opened the topmost drawer on his desk. He took out a stamp. The handle of the stamp was the Solidor insignia, carved into the deepest red magicite. Lights and shades of red danced inside the figure; it was a magical seal. Larsa examined it for a minute, and then he looked up at the two. "The Scarlet Serpent," he explained. "This stamp seal is one of the fastest ways to reach me. Once you have used the seal on any of your letters, it will be passed to me directly, without having to go through any other official. The Scarlet Serpent is used for the most confidential of information, and I can only bestow it on my most trusted allies."

"Aww…Larsa…" Penelo blushed.

"Please, use it, and use it wisely," Larsa nodded, and Vaan went up to him to get the stamp. "As of now, you are my only hope. On you, Penelo and Vaan, shall I trust all of our fortune."

"Don't worry, your Highness, we won't let you down!" Vaan winked, and he smiled cockily.

"I am relieved," Larsa remarked, and he exhaled deeply.

"Thanks a lot, Larsa, for everything," Penelo smiled, and she bowed. "We better make our leave, and quick, before anyone discovers that there were some sky pirates in your palace. They'd be horrified."

"Thank you, as well, Penelo," Larsa returned the gesture. "You have always been a faithful friend. And Vaan, thank you for…err…enlightening the Rozarrian detainees with your fists."

"No prob, Larsa!" Vaan rubbed his nose. "Well, gotta go now! See ya in the future, okay? We'll be sending those messages frequently."

"Goodbye, Lady Catalina." And Penelo curtsied.

And I curtsied back. "Goodbye," I replied curtly.

The sky pirates left when the sun had been eaten by the steppes. From the distance the emperor and I could see a brilliant airship take to the heavens. Emperor Larsa sighed, and looked mildly smitten. I looked at him, and blushed. He was back to his same boring self. As he looked out the window, he reminisced. He was deep in contemplation, I could tell. An emperor's work is a hard one, no doubt.

* * *

><p>After dinner we proceeded to the patio, and there we basked in the sounds of the fountain. It was a calm night, and the bright stars moved slowly across the sky. There was a sort of tranquility, in the midst of all these troubled times. The emperor paced leisurely, back and forth, like a lion, and he shook his shoulders, to take away all his troubles. The night was warm and amiable, and the aura made it feel as if there were no problems in the world.<p>

"Tell me, Catalina, what it is like to have a family…"

My eyes widened. "Well…" I said. "Let me think. No one has ever asked me what it is like to have a family. I have always found it to be the most natural occurrence in the world. To have a family, is such a wondrous gift. A family is…" And my voice trailed off into a soft snicker.

"Words cannot express how much my family means to me…" I added, and my eyes started to get wet. "It is nice, when you have a large family that cares so much about you! It makes me happy. I want my life to be filled with happiness. And I wish to have no regrets about anything I have done."

Emperor Larsa looked at sincerely. "You are very lucky. My mother had died giving life to me. I was fragile and unhealthy as an infant. Over time, I learned how to become stronger, were it not for my guardians. I knew little about any of my two eldest brothers. The only one I had learned to love so well was my brother."

"Lord Vayne Solidor?" I asked, a bit shocked.

"Yes, indeed…"

"What of your father? Does your father not love you?"

Larsa looked at me. "Oh, he did love me…very much." Yet at the tone of his voice I did not seem very convinced.

"Forgive me," I looked away. "I have spoken out of turn. I did not mean to speak ill about anyone."

"He was murdered. Poisoned." The emperor looked to the sky, and placed his hands behind his back. "If I had not ventured out on my own, if I had obeyed him, if I had not lied to him, and stayed in the palace instead…then perhaps he would not have died. I would have been able to save him. I was so powerless, nothing but a mere child."

I touched his hand delicately. "I am sorry…"

"It is a curse to be an emperor," Larsa continued. "The burden of rule is bestowed on me. You will live a life of solitude. As of now, I am the last Solidor. I have no family."

"That is a lie!" I snapped.

The emperor's eyes grew big.

"There are so many people who love and care for you, Larsa. No matter where you are, there is at least one kind person who thinks of you and wonders if you are well!" At my declaration the emperor fell silent. He sat next to me and gazed off into the distance.

"Shame on you men!" I exclaimed, and wagged my finger. "Once you think that you are alone, you think that no one cares about you! Hmph! You should count your blessings! Be thankful that you are about to marry the most beautiful woman on this planet."

The emperor laughed. "Then praise Faram for giving me such a perfect woman!"

"You jest, my lord?"

"No, not at all," Larsa replied. And he placed his hand on my lap. "Catalina…"

I clasped his hand. "Yes, my lord?"

"I hope that you do not regret our marriage…"

"Hmm…" I said in a soft voice. I looked at the emperor. His eyes were intense, yet captivating. If I had looked into his eyes any deeper, I would have fallen into it.

"I do not regret loving you…" Larsa confessed in an aged, innocent voice, and affectionately he fingered through my dark, wavy locks. Slowly, and sweetly he leaned closer.

His words could not escape my mind. It echoed and danced around me. His voice was as smooth as a flowing stream. At his confession my legs became weak, and I trembled; it was as if someone had possessed me. My body had petrified, but my heart still continued to beat. For some reason it beat faster, yet slower at the same time. A stoic man, such as Emperor Larsa, found some place in his temperament to show his emotions, and control them he could no longer. He leaned in, closer than ever, and our lips met. A feeling of desire and passion came about us. I seized his robe and pulled him closer, and wrapped my arms around him. We were in a blissful trance, spellbound, least to say. And when we withdrew our lips, I found myself at a loss for words. Slowly I touched my lips; they were wet.

"E-Emperor…Larsa…" I shivered.

The man looked at me endearingly. "Catalina…you have captured me. Captivated me…"

I burst into tears. Was I crying because I was happy…or because I was sad? I felt so many different emotions at the same time; I did not think such thing was possible. I had come to love the emperor, the great and majestic lion; I had come to love Larsa Solidor. Yet I thought of Leosandro Fergaza, and his promise of war and suffering. I cried because I was scared. I was scared to lose the emperor forever. I was torn between a warning of war and a confession of love. I could not decide between the two. I was a broken woman.

I closed my eyes and wept. Then I felt someone's arms wrapped around me. I did not bother to open my eyes soon after, and bathed in the warmth of his sweet embrace. And for a moment, I had forgotten about the world, and Leosandro.


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys!  
>This is Airbendergal<em>

_This is the longest chapter...ever. It's the first part of Larsa's 20th birthday...and he wants to celebrate it with a charity foundation in the Archadian Wine Festival. I hope you love kids as much as he does. LOL XDD_

_Keep on reading and reviewing! And I hope you enjoy!  
>~Airbendergal <em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15:<strong>

Today was Larsa's birthday. It was also the Archadian Wine Festival. What awful timing! I had insisted that the emperor miss the event, but he had told me that he had already promised some benefactors that he would grace the festival with his presence. Emperor Larsa was definitely a man of his word, I could tell. During the three months I had endured with him in the palace, I found no flaw in his promises; they were blunt and simple. Larsa would reply, "Yes" or "No", and that would be it; any deal would have been made accordingly.

"Tomorrow night we shall dine out in the North Gardens, and I will show you one of my most precious belongings," Emperor Larsa had promised me. And I was delighted to have him promise such an opportunity as that.

The days flied swiftly. Day after day I learned more and more about Archadia, and her ruler. I came to learn Archadia's culture; her fashion, her food, her manners. I thoroughly relied on my own knowledge of manners, but I kept in mind Archadian conduct as well. Because of this knowledge, I was able to express myself to the Archadians more freely, and I found out that they were not as bad as I feared. The people of the empire were actually very friendly and modest. Most of them were soft-spoken and docile, though there were some exceptions of snobbish rich men and women who looked down on others.

One of the things I had despised about Archadia, though, was their unfortunate caste system. Social standings were one of the most important aspects in their society. A rich man's son was a rich man. And a vulgar's daughter was a vulgar. There were no exceptions to the rules. You were to stay in your caste for the rest of your life, either to be looked down upon or looked up to. And they had pretty dim-witted titles for the rich men; gentry and ardent. In Rozarria social class was prevalent, but not dominating. We still gave considerations to the lower classes, and most opportunities were widely available to all walks of life.

Emperor Larsa's greatest concern about his society was the rampant marginal people. These people were illiterate and vulgar, and lived in the underworld of Archades. There was nothing he could do about them, he told me. The emperor told me that their hopes never left the great city, and one day he wished that their dreams of living in a better place could be fulfilled. Larsa had already created funding projects that would support the marginal peoples. It was hard to be on their side of the fence, for many rich Archadian noblemen were against the rise of the vulgar. Many believed that they belonged to the underworld, and it would be shameful if they would ever ascend from their low city.

It was revealed to me that the Archadian Wine Festival was sponsored by one of the patrons of the Youth Foundation, and it would support vulgar children and children with disabilities. I could see now why the emperor could decline the offer of his appearance. As his wife-to-be, it was my duty to attend the festival with him, and it would be my first public appearance.

I had purchased a fine Archadian gown with the help of some of my personal servants. It was a beautiful midnight, v-cut dress that was embroidered in fine gold lining. It hugged my hips tightly, which, to tell you the truth, I was not so proud of. And I was decorated with all the golden things I could find in the palace treasury: headdresses, pendants, bracelets, anklets, and other golden relics that could be placed in places I would rather not speak of. It was as if Midas had touched me, for Faram's sake! The Archadian women seemed to love gold jewelry very much, it seemed to be their best friend. My hair was tied up into a large bun, and was decorated like some gold Frostmas tree! I had practically turned into a golden pheasant.

I had no serious complaints, though. I had to look my best, not only for Emperor Larsa, but for the public as well. I could not afford to be spoken ill of, especially not at this period of time. If Archadia thought of me as an insolent woman, I would be dead her eyes.

Everyone seemed to be particularly amiable to the emperor and to me as well on that day. Even the people I did not expect to take notice of me greeted me. Some servants like the maid in the north annex and the gardener of the east wing were pleasant to me, regardless of the number of times they refused to look at me straight in the eye when I passed them.

Emperor Larsa and I strolled through the palace at an unhurried pace. Hand in hand we walked through the halls, and we talked about amusing people and events. When we passed through groups of servants they bowed, and as they grew out of sight I could only hear their murmurs throughout the echoed halls. I could make out a few words from the mumbles, and I realized that they had been talking about us, and the kiss we shared under the moonlight. The palace had found out.

"It seems they've found out about last night, Larsa," I told him.

"Let them talk, Catalina," Larsa replied, and he gripped my hand tighter.

"Do I look presentable, my lord?" I asked him all too suddenly. I let go of him and took a few steps back. I held a straight pose for a couple of seconds so that the Emperor Larsa could discriminate me.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, and narrowed his eyes.

"Do I look…pleasant?" And I forced a smile.

Larsa examined me from head to toe, and then blushed. "Ah, yes, very pleasant."

"Hmmm…" I was rather expecting a compliment.

"The people shall be expecting us soon," Larsa said as we entered the lift. "You may act as normal as you wish. Please do not be intimidated by all of these people. And enjoy the company of the children."

"I understand."

The Archadian Wine festival was held in the North Gardens, upon Archadia's highest terrace. It was a social gathering for all Archadian elites and wine enthusiasts. The festival was held annually, though Larsa was not invited to join until two years ago, when he had turned eighteen. The public still discriminated the emperor's age, and would not allow him to join the festival until he was of legal age. They gave me absolute considerations, though. In the future, I would become one of the most powerful women of Archadia, and if certain people showed me grandeur in hospitality, they think I would be inclined to give them a perk or two. They were wrong, obviously. The Archadians had such plastic relations with each other, but I believed that Emperor Larsa's feelings for me were as real as the rising sun.

There were a few high tables that were set up around the perimeter of the garden, and a long buffet table filled with all sorts of wines and cheeses. The Archadians were fond of sharp cheese, and they were used to such pungent wine. There were all sorts of people at the event, as well. There were eccentric gentlemen and their nagging wives. There were Archadian aristocrats who walked around like they owned the world, and flamboyantly dressed women who showed their tummies. They were all so different from the people of Rozarria. I stayed close to Emperor Larsa, for I did not want to be caught alone. There were journalists in the event, and they swarmed us like wasps. There were flashes of light and large dancing quills and the _krrkrrkrr_ sound of scratching paper. The emperor converted to his majestic self once more, and answered all the questions thrown to him so swiftly and boldly.

"Your Excellency, sources have stated that you will be wed in the next few months, am I correct?" asked one of the journalists, as his partner stole a few shots of me. He was busy writing down the questions and answers.

"Yes, indeed," Emperor Larsa replied. "In the next few months Archadia and Rozarria will be allied through a political marriage, one that I will undergo with the Lady Catalina Margrace."

"And you, Lady Catalina, what does your empire have to say about this alliance?"

My eyes widened and my heart started to beat faster. I was having a mental block. "Err…well…my country, empire…it…" Oh gods of the sky! Why must I be tortured with all these questions? I bit my lip, and tried to regain my once lost sanity.

"I am sorry, but my Catalina has been feeling quite ill recently," Larsa told the journalists in a sour and monotonous tone. "She is currently recovering and I pray dear people of the press, that you will not batter her with many insignificant questions. If there are any matters you want to discuss with Lady Catalina, then you may do so personally in the moments yet to come."

Oh, thank Faram! Emperor Larsa saved me from a quick death by the journalists.

"Yes, your highness," replied the journalist. He looked very depressed. "Forgive us."

The emperor glanced at me for a second and his lips pursed. Then, he looked back at the raging crowd of press officers. "Now, are there any more questions?"

The day continued slowly, and I was beginning to think that I had a bad streak of luck. I had encountered many other amiable aristocrats who asked me the same questions repeatedly like a sort of broken record. I had found most of the Archadians to be quite pleasant, but there was still a sense of awkwardness in our discussions. The emperor, on the meanwhile, was busy tasting the wines himself, and he fancied some of them, like _Lady Red_ and _Pomegranate_ _Wine_. Many young women came to him and chatted with him, and he took their conversations hospitably. This made my blood boil. After some time he had become red with flattery, and I stormed in to drive the bevy of girls away.

"Emperor Larsa, let me stay your side," I said.

"Very well. I enjoy your company, Catalina," Larsa replied, and he took another glass of white wine which a man offered him. "There are so many great wine entrepreneurs here in Archadia. The specialized wine grows in the vineyards of the Cerobi Steppe."

And he held my hand.

"_Lady White_," said a voice.

I looked to my side and saw a large woman. She was plump and stood almost as tall as the emperor did. The woman wore a large red bonnet adorned with sparkling Phoenix downs, and had a tight dress that emphasized her formidable bust. In her hand she had a feathery fan, which we used to shield her rounded face.

"Ah, good morrow to you Lady Arnoux," greeted Emperor Larsa.

The plump woman curtsied. "So this is the little woman that everyone has been talking about!" Apparently, she was addressing me. "Lady Catalina, it's an honor to be in your presence! People have been talking about you!"

They have, have they?

"Of course, their remarks about you are of the finest matter," added Lady Arnoux. "It is so exciting to finally meet a Rozarrian in the flesh! I have heard many stories of your people. They say that Rozarria has an army that can par to the Archadian Empire! Tee-hee-hee! How wondrous is that! Of course, I nay say that Rozarrian forces are no match to ours. Your people are so charming! You know, my second cousin had a Rozarrian friend. He was a peculiar one, that Rozarrian…"

And it went on and on and on until I had lost track of her words.

"Lady Arnoux is the benefactor of the Youth Foundation," Larsa explained.

"Yes, indeed!" Lady Arnoux exclaimed. "Ah, these poor little children are being subject to many horrible matters, which I would rather not speak of. There have been so much human trafficking recently, and the foundation had salvaged some of these kids from an untimely death. I decided to sponsor the Archadian wine festival in order to get some donations for this very enterprise."

"I see," I replied curtly. I did not seem to find the importance of her matter.

Just then, there were the sounds of trumpets and drums. Everyone looked to the east, from where the sound was coming from. In paraded a miniature marching band. I was shocked to see that people who were playing the instruments were actually small children; their age range was probably from seven to thirteen years of age. There were trumpeters, drummers, banner-holders and lyrists. They paraded in a straight line and entered the festival grounds. A few children on chocobos entered as well. They smiled and waved their hands at the adults.

"Ah, there are the children! Right on time!" Lady Arnoux clapped.

I was moved to tears. All of these young children had soft, angelic features. They had flaxen hair and bright eyes. They were so innocent, and so young. It was a shame to think these children were subject to human trafficking. After all the hardships they had been through, they still remained joyful. It inspired me to become happy.

Some of the aristocrats clapped, but some remained unmotivated.

The conductor of the marching band stopped and raised his stick. The music stopped evidently. In sync, the whole marching band bowed to the festival goers. The young women and men were delighted by these angels, but the older fools showed no appreciation towards the like.

Emperor Larsa clapped the loudest, and even from the distance he could be heard. His claps were like claps of thunder, loud and resonating. The young marching band disarmed their instruments and sat around Larsa in a circle. They were wide-eyed and they listened patiently as the emperor spoke.

"Good people of Archadia!" Emperor Larsa cried. "Before you stands the youth! These children will be the future of our empire! At all costs we must harbor them in good values, and protect them! We must treat each child with love and respect, so that they will be good citizens of society!"

The children circled around me. I looked down at the sea of heads below. They were so beautiful, so precious. These children were so innocent and lovable. Some of them, as Lady Arnoux had told me, were mentally and physically challenged. There was one child I spotted who was about seven years old who wore a mask over her mouth. There was another child who had a crippled arm and another who loved to twitch his nose.

"These children should never be a nuisance to anybody!" declared the emperor. "They deserve as much opportunities as we!"

A small, blonde girl toddled out of the circle and next to the emperor. Lady Arnoux snapped at her, but she just would not listen. The child played at the emperor's feet; she tugged at his robe and sucked her thumb. At once the emperor took notice and was cut in the middle of his speech. The crowd erupted into a wave of whispers. What was the emperor going to do? Scold her? The emperor looked down at the child and sighed. I thought he was going to reprimand her for sure! But no, he did not. Emperor Larsa picked up the child gently, as a father would do to his daughter, and he held her up and looked at her sincerely. The little girl smiled and giggled, and her bright blue eyes sparkled with such joy. The emperor chuckled and raised her up higher to show her to the people.

"These children, good people of Archadia, are the future of our country! They ask of our help, and we shall give it to them! Treat them well, and in the generations yet to come, Archadia will enter an era of propriety and peace. Lady Arnoux is accepting all forms of donations for her foundation that will support these helpless children. If you want to help these people, then please do not hesitate to give to her charity. All the donations you give will go to the funding of their education and health."

Emperor Larsa lowered the child slowly, until her feet touched the ground. The audience applauded, and I was inspired by Larsa's speech. Lady Arnoux was a gleeful as ever; people were already starting to line up in front of her.

"They've taken your speech well, my lord!" Lady Arnoux laughed, as people donated chops and coins. Her hands were already filled with gil. "All these children will be well supported, Emperor Larsa!"

I nodded and smiled warmly.

The little girl sucked her thumb, and looked up at the emperor.

"What is your name, little one?" asked the emperor and he bent down to see her eye to eye.

"Charwot," replied the little girl in a pure voice, and she curtsied.

"Charlotte? What a lovely name."

And little Charlotte kissed him on the cheek. Larsa blushed and looked up to me. He was absolutely smitten. I giggled and touched him lightly on the shoulder. The emperor rose majestically, and stood tall and mighty. The children started to play around him, they pushed and pulled, laughed and jumped to get close to him, and they did the same to me. It was the happiest sight I had ever seen in my life. There were angels dancing at our feet. I could see the emperor was overwhelmed by the number of children around him. He fell back a bit when a child almost pushed him, but he recovered, and laughed.

It made me happy to see the emperor so genial. He was so benevolent to children. The children understood him more than anyone, and he understood them. It was then when I realized that Emperor Larsa would make a great father.


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's Note:_

_AHHH! I am at the epitome of my romantic writing skills. __So...is the climax of the fanfiction?_

_Oh, sorry..._

_Hey Guys! Airbendergal here!_

_Thank you soooo much for all the support that you have been giving to The Lion and The Rose_

_I really appreciate it! You guys are the reason why I keep on writing!_

_In this chapter, it's the night of Larsa's birthday. _

_And there's a really big surprise in store for all of us._

_Hold on to your seats, cause there's extreme heart-pounding moments in this chapter._

_Will Catalina finally accept her destiny?_

_Keep on reading to find out!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16:<strong>

"Now, close your eyes."

Emperor Larsa took out a long piece of cloth from his pocket, and placed it in front of my face. I was scared he was going to trick me again, so I did not close my eyes at first, and looked at him awkwardly. "I promise you that this is no trick, Catalina," he laughed. "Now please, do not peek. I fear it will ruin the surprise."

I sighed. And so I closed my eyes, and he blindfolded me with that very cloth. I stretched my arms in front of me so that I would not bump into anything. I felt Larsa's hands on my shoulders, and he guided me. Step by step, I managed to worm my way down an unknown path. I could see nothing, and the fact that it was already night time did not help me one bit. I stumbled forward, but he caught me and pulled me backwards to save me. This walking seemed to go on forever, and I was getting impatient.

"Are we there?" I asked Larsa.

"Almost," a voice behind me replied. "It is just around the corner. And, oh, watch your steps."

I stepped in front of me to feel my surroundings. There were steps. "Is this some kind of obstacle course, my lord? I hope that there will be something good in store for me."

"There shall," said the voice. "I give you my word. There are a few steps right in front of us. Careful, now. One…two…three…four."

I breathed. "Do not worry, I can handle a simple flight of steps, Emperor Larsa."

Suddenly, the emperor let go of me and I became frightened. Where had he gone? Where was I now? I tried looking left and right but all I saw was darkness. And then I remembered that he had blindfolded me. "Emperor Larsa?" I shouted. But there was no response. "Larsa? Larsa? Where are you?"

"You can remove the blindfold now, Catalina." It was Larsa's voice. I felt relieved; he was still there.

At once I untied the blindfold. A painful light flooded into my eyes and I groaned a bit. The field of view expanded, slowly, and a beautiful sight faded into my vision. I gasped at the magnificent view in front of me. I was out on a large balcony, overlooking the rest of the city at night. There was a table, covered in velvety red cloth which glowed in the romantic candlelight. On the table there were two sets of silverwares, a bottle of the finest champagne, a bouquet of roses, and a card. Music started to surround us; it came from a talented violinist. He played an enchanting song.

The emperor smiled warmly, as I looked at him with wet eyes.

"Oh, Larsa, this is wonderful!" I exclaimed, and I felt a sudden pang in my chest.

"My birthday treat." And Emperor Larsa pulled out a chair. "Please, come and sit with me, Catalina."

I sat on my chair and thanked him, and the emperor moved across the table and sat across me. He stared at me for a while, and then he grinned. My face became a ripe red. Emperor Larsa had done so much for me! I was so flattered and embarrassed. Two servants came in and snapped napkins at our laps. Then, two more servants entered and served us the first course of our dinner: a lovely Artichoke Mousse and Smoked Salmon Terrine. It was strong, yet delicious.

"I hope you take pleasure in this, Catalina," Larsa said, as he dabbed his napkin on his lips.

"I do, very much!" I replied. "Thank you very much for this surprise. It is very…romantic."

"Romantic, you say? Hmm…yes…I hoped that you would say so," and he took a small bite out of his salmon. "It was my idea, personally. I pray you like the roses. They are very hard to find in Archadia. I have gone through a great deal of difficulty to come across them."

I reached out for the bouquet, and brought it closer to me. The roses were beautifully colored a passionate red. They let out a fragrant smell, so I sniffed them. "Tell me, my lord, is this all just a dream?" Everything was so surreal.

Emperor Larsa's eyes became glassy. "If this is only a dream, then I would never desire to wake."

"Neither would I…" And I sighed. I looked out at the half moon above us. "If only the world could be this peaceful every once in a while…"

The violin continued to sing, and I vowed that I could hear singing in the distance.

We continued to dine for the next hour and a half, but we barely spoke to each other. I tried my best to open up pleasant discussions on the table, but I felt apprehensive. The emperor would never do something as romantic as this! He was learning (slowly, that is) how to be charming and affable in front of a woman. I could not blame him for his tardiness in this sort of matter, for Emperor Larsa lived a life of solitude, and the women he could have known were the court officials and the maidservants. I could have not asked for something better; my partner was starting to grow up.

The servants popped open the champagne. The emperor proposed a toast.

"To a better future for Archadia and Rozarria." And he raised his glass.

"To a better future…" And I followed suit.

Then our glasses clinked. We sipped until further satisfaction.

"That card…I wrote it for you," Larsa said, and placed down his glass. "Please…read it."

I nodded my head and took the card from its place. I opened it and read it. It was the emperor's letter, written in his own handwriting. Larsa's penmanship was exceptional, and his lines were incredibly straight.

_My dearest Catalina,_

_ These few months have been complete torment. I cannot hold my feelings for you any longer. I fear that if I do not confess to you this moment, I will indubitably implode. For the words that I write cannot be expressed merely through my mouth, for I am at a loss when I speak. These feelings that I have harbored for you ever since the day we met—I shall express them. _

_At first I must confess that I was reluctant to engage in an alliance such as ours, for I feared that I would spend my entire life with a complete stranger. From the moment our eyes had met, at once I had known that you were something extraordinary. _

_Catalina, you have inspired me. You have captivated me. You have changed my life. Long have I forgotten happiness…but you have reminded me of the reason I should smile. _

_I love you, Catalina. You are beautiful, charming and bighearted. Yes, I consider myself to be the luckiest person in all of Ivalice to have loved one of Faram's greatest creations. _

And the letter just stopped. I flipped the card over to see if there was more writing. Was this it? Certainly there had to be more than this! Why would Larsa have stopped so abruptly at the middle of his confession? I desperately tried to find the continuation of the letter. I placed the article in front of the fire; perhaps his writing was secretly hidden in between the sides of the card. But no. There was nothing.

"My lord…" I said shakily. "Your letter…"

And I looked at him. He had cleared out his side of the table. Emperor Larsa was holding a medium-sized black box.

"Catalina," he said. "Please let me show you my most precious item."

My eyes widened a bit. "Go on…"

He opened the box slightly, and passed it to me. My heart started to race. Slowly, I opened the package. Inside there was an intricately carved, golden hand mirror and a pendant, which was shaped like the Solidor insignia.

"Larsa, what is this?"

"Hold up the mirror to your face, and then you shall see my most precious belonging."

Carefully I picked up the fragile hand mirror by the handle. The handle was thin and delicate, and shaped like intertwined vines. The margins of the mirror were adorned in different gems like emeralds, sapphires and rubies. It was so beautiful, and must have been worth more than millions of gil. I hesitantly looked into the mirror; I was afraid that something would pop out of it and scare me. But the only thing I saw was my reflection. There was nothing more than a simple, not to mention dull, manifestation of a woman from the Margrace family.

"I do not understand…" I told him, as I looked deeper into the reflection. "What is most precious to you? All I see is my reflection."

"The most precious thing in my existence is a woman…by the name of Catalina. I would want nothing else."

The music had faded away. There was an air of calm around us. A feeling had come about me; it was the same sensation I had felt on the night we had shared a kiss. This calmness—it cannot be described; it is only felt. I stared into the reflection, and wondered my worth. I, Catalina Margrace, was worth a thousand deaths and the heart of an emperor. Leosandro had eventually faded away from my world, yet the memory of him remained unrelenting as a phantom. As I had learned to forget about him, I had learned to love Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor. If I had loved Larsa with all my spirit, I would be worth millions of deaths; Leosandro would kill every being on this planet if he could only win my heart.

The emperor rose from his chair, and the creases his robe drooped smoothly as he walked towards me. The air around was so overwhelming; again I had found it hard to breathe. I looked up at him, and instinctively stood up as well. A warm breeze fingered through my hair. I clasped my mother's pendant; I had never taken it off since the day I arrived in the city. It had always been a reminder of my family, and myself. I was a rose, delicate and passionate. Emperor Larsa was a lion, noble and majestic.

The man carefully took out the pendant from inside the box and held it up for me to see.

"This pendant, Catalina, is a pendant that has been passed on from generation to generation," Larsa explained. "It can only be worn by a true empress of Archadia."

At these words, I figured out what he was about to do. My eyes started to become foggy, and I gulped painfully. Was he really going to do it? My legs became weak.

"Lady Catalina Margrace, if you accept this pendant, then you accept your duty as the empress of Archadia, and my spouse," Larsa told me in his pure voice. And he went down on one knee, and raised his hands up. The pendant shimmered in the candlelight. "Dearest Catalina…will you do the honor of being my wife?"

That was it. Emperor Larsa had proposed to me.

I was petrified. I could not move. I could not speak. I could not even breathe. My hands trembled. Was I going to say yes, and risk the fires of war? Would I say no, and abandon the hopes and dreams of my empire forever? And I stood there, gazed at him deeply, and saw the sincerity in his eyes. I could see no retribution or lust in his eyes; they were as pure as the waters of the Nebra.

For all of his life, Emperor Larsa had lived a life of sadness and grief. He had lived a life of solitude.

"I-If I accept this d-duty," I stammered. "T-Then will you p-promise me that you will l-love me, no matter what may h-happen?"

"Yes, I promise. I will love you will my whole heart, mind and soul."

"Would you promise to stay by my side, even if the whole of Ivalice would end in fire?"

"I solemnly swear to you, Catalina, I will never leave your side."

"And will you promise me…that no other person shall ever come between us?"

"I give you my word, Catalina. No one shall ever break us."

At these promises he swore to uphold, a certain feeling of respite surrounded me. Slowly, my hands trembled, as I reached for the back of my neck. I parted my hair, and reached for the ends of the pendant my mother had given on the day I left Rozarria. Until that day, I had never taken it off. I held my mother's pendant in my quivering hands; my neck was now bare. Tears wormed down my cheeks. I then remembered my brother's words. _The secret to obtaining true happiness in life…is doing what you think is right. And Catalina may you never forget this._

At a point in one's life, one must make a decision that will change his or her life forever. And now I must make a choice, whether I want to be happy or not, for the rest of my life. I would make a choice that would either break or bond me to my duty as a princess of Rozarria.

"Emperor Larsa…I will accept my duty, as the empress of Archadia…and your wife."

My life…I want it to be filled with happiness.


	17. Chapter 17

_Author's Note:_

_Hey Guys! Airbendergal here!_

_Thanks for all the support you've been giving to the story!  
>In one day alone, The Lion and the Rose got up to 150 views from over 20 countries!<em>

_Wow! That's amazing, you guys! You rock \m/ !_

_Anyway, just some more of Larsa and Catalina._

_And Al-Cid makes an appearance at the end of the chapter. Hmm...I wonder why. _

_Keep on reading, and reviewing! Rock on!_

_And check out some of my art for the Lion and the Rose on devART: [. com]_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17:<strong>

My life began to change drastically once I had accepted the role of the emperor's wife.

I was not fit to call myself an empress, for that matter, since we were not married as of the moment. I had been engaged to the Archadian emperor, his Excellency, Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor. It had already been betrothed to him for two weeks. In a month's time, Emperor Larsa and I were to be wed.

The Archadian society, however, did not seem to care one bit. The people remained indifferent with the motives of the political marriage. News had spread that the Archadian emperor was to have a Rozarrian wife, and it would be the second time in history that an alliance with another empire would be formed. Archadia had been an independent empire for most of her life, and until this day is one of the strongest empires in all of the world. Surely, news such as this would benefit the people of Archades. But no, it did not! The noblemen remained eccentric, and continued with business, and the noblewomen continued to sit on their futons and watch the vines in their little apartments grow! In Rozarria, a wedding was a large and splendid occasion. A political marriage for Rozarria was a spectacular blessing from Faram, and the bells would echo on the streets, and parades would be held! Ah, the parades! And dancing, and merry-making!

I guess the people were not aroused because their emperor would be marrying someone of another breed.

The Archadians cared much about good breeding. They always had to make sure that their "line", or whatever sort of foolish genealogy, had to be clean and pure, and that one must walk down the aisle with some individual of the same rank. Apparently, "good breeding" was the key term to having a good reputation in the society. How unfortunate they were that Emperor Larsa was marrying someone who came from enemy territory. Did the public see me as such a threat? I dare say that they cared about this political marriage, in some sort of way, even if that way seemed horrific.

Emperor Larsa and I were having some intimate afternoon tea together when suddenly a senator intruded on us. At once the emperor was angered, and asked him why he had done such a thing.

"Senator, may I inquire why you disturb us? I have already notified the rest of the senate that I shall be taking the afternoon off." And the emperor rose from his chair.

"Forgive me, your Excellency, but this matter is quite dreadful," the senator bowed, and he pulled out a bundle of newspapers which was fastened underarm. "The tabloid writers seemed to have come up with a very _peculiar_ headline today. I thought that it would concern you and Lady Catalina, most of all."

Larsa did not say a word. He seized the paper from the senator and unrolled it. The headline of _Liberty_, a famous tabloid newspaper, stated: "EMPEROR LARSA ENGAGED; CONSORT FEARED BAD PARTNER."

"Let me see that!" I exclaimed, jumping up from my seat. I went next to Larsa, and leaned against him as he read the paper out loud.

"According to the tabloid writer, Mr. Fredrick Maudrogh, _'The first time I encountered this perky young woman at the Archadian Wine Festival, she did not seem to be in the best of health, but she showed a spirited personality, later to be crushed by an unconfident answer on a simple question. When I asked her what her country thought of a political marriage, she inaptly replied, "so far, my country is still thinking about it." Congratulations, Lady Catalina! You have won first prize for the most unintelligent speaker of the decade! No wonder the emperor picked her! Instead of choosing one of our _prized _Archadian women, the emperor chose a Rozarrian. A Rozarrian, for Faram's sake. I'd rather marry an Archadian vulgar than marry a Rozarrian! Talk about opposites attract! The Rozarrian Empire is still one of Archadia's roughest competitors in the economic struggle nowadays, and according to latest intelligence reports, a deal has been made during the International Council that Archadia would fund Jyllander educational projects. Has the world come to an end so quickly? Why would the government fund the enemy's so called "educational projects?" Ha, I would want to see that for myself! For the first time in Archadian history, we shall have a Rozarrian empress. Surely Emperor Gramis would laugh at his own son's doings." _Emperor Larsa read.

He ripped off the front page of the newspaper and crumpled it. "Rubbish."

"We should do something about this, Larsa! We cannot let these people speak ill about this issue," I told him. "What can we do?"

"The papers had been released this morning, your Excellency," explained the senator. "It's been distributed across the capital. There is nothing we can do to recall the tabloid news."

This is absolutely perfect! My first impression on the public was destroyed by a tabloid writer.

"They were bashing on the Rozarrians as well…" I sighed.

"Find this Maudrough man and place him under strict custody. If he does anything else to destroy the name of Lady Catalina or I, see to it that he is placed in prison," ordered Emperor Larsa. And then he looked to me and said, "Do not worry, Catalina. I too have gone through a phase such as this. When I first became emperor, I probably had thousands of haters in the city alone. Let them talk, let them laugh. These words should never strike you. Over time these people will stop, once they find out that they attract no attention."

"If you say this, then I am glad," I told him, and smiled. I locked my arm around the emperor's.

"I shall take my leave now, your highnesses," the senator said. "Once again, I must apologize for my interruption."

"No, thank you, senator, for informing us," I told him, and bowed my head.

"And it is time for us to get back to our duties," Larsa added, and he looked at me cheekily.

"Duties…as in drinking tea and exchanging pleasant discourses?" I teased. "Why, I reckoned that after all those horrible meetings you have every day, you would never call these trifles duties! Apparently, I was wrong!"

The emperor chuckled, and we continued to have afternoon tea.

* * *

><p>The next day, I wrote a letter to my father, telling him of my engagement.<p>

_Dear Father,_

_ I am pleased to tell you that I am now engaged to Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor. After three months, I am finally betrothed to him. I must confess that I have been very wrong about the man. I thought that he was a strange and serious emperor at first, but after some time of getting to know him better, I finally understand who he is. Emperor Larsa is a kind and gentle man, and he cares deeply about the empire that he rules. He is truly an extraordinary emperor, just like you. _

_ I am still continuing to learn about the Archadian culture. The people in Archades are actually quite friendly if you get to know them better. As of now, I can still see hatred towards our nation. It is my duty then, as Rozarrian princess, and an Archadian empress to break the barriers between the two nations. Do not fret, father. I can handle all these things with the emperor. He is an intelligent man. _

_ How are you, father? How are mama, and my sisters? How are Al-Cid and little Joseno? How is Mivo? Have the servants been attending to his feeding? I hope that they are doing all well. I miss you dearly, father, and I hope to return to Rozarria one day. I miss the warm sunlight, the large trees and Ambervale square. The sunset is not the same from the other side of the world, I tell you. The sunset here has no passion. _

_ I pray that everything is alright with Rozarria. Has there been any quarrels or wars recently? How is Lord Leosandro? I hope that he is still…in his right mind. Upon our last encounter, he treated me quite ill and I was beginning to think he was a perverted man. I hope that I am wrong about him, too, father. I still care for him. Please tell him that I send my regards. _

_ The wedding will still be in a month's time, and I am already preparing to be an empress. I do not believe it will be a hard job. According to the senators, I practically just work as a counselor. For the first time, I am actually pleased with this political marriage, father. I must thank you for placing me in such a position. If it were not for you, then I would not have met Emperor Larsa. _

_ Thank you so much for everything. I love you, father. Please tell everyone that I love them too. And kiss mama for me. _

_Your daughter,_

_Catalina. _

_P.S. Tell Al-Cid to play with Mivo more often. I fear that the sheepdog does not have proper company._

The letter was sent to Ambervale on the same day, and I had eagerly waited for a reply. The days flied, and sooner I had waited for a week, yet there was still no answer. I was beginning to worry. Usually father would reply in the next two days. Perhaps he was busy. So I waited for a few more days, and yet I did not hear anything from him or about Rozarria for that matter.

The sky pirates had not written Larsa any letters either, for the past week. The last time we had gotten a message from them was a week and a half ago. Penelo stated that not much had been going on in Rozarria, only that a few Rozarrian tavern-goers talked about some misunderstandings in the Rozarrian military. Apparently, some officials had been bribed by a lord to do some of his secret businesses on the outskirts of Ambervale.

"I fear that something's happened to my father," I told Larsa. "He has not responded in almost two weeks. It is very unusual of him; it usually only takes him two days to reply to my letters."

The emperor was working on some documents in his study. He had already spent two hours on signing papers alone. "He must be a very busy man," Larsa replied. "You must give him more time."

"I have given him enough time already!" I exclaimed. "Emperor Larsa, I fear…I fear that…"

The emperor looked at me, concerned. He knew what I felt. "I see. Is there anything that I can do to help you, Catalina?"

"I want to return to Rozarria."

"You cannot," he replied curtly, and dropped his quill. "There have been many air raids recently. We cannot risk you."

Just then, Judge Gabranth entered the room. He was panting.

"Gabranth," Larsa frowned. "What is it?"

The judge took off his helmet and exposed his weary expression. "My lord!" he cried. "Lord Al-Cid! He has arrived! And, he is greatly wounded."

"What?" I gasped. "Where is he now?"

"In the infirmary," replied Gabranth, and he exhaled deeply. "We must make haste."

"Come, Catalina," Larsa beckoned. He took off from his seat and made his way to the door.

We made our way to the infirmary on the 26th floor of the palace. The infirmary was a large place. I had recognized it. The room was white and long, and had a high ceiling. There were twelve beds arranged in a row, parallel to two twelve large windows. One of the beds was large, golden and had a canopy. It was reserved only for the emperor, most obviously. I had frequented the place after I got my scratch for the imperial mastiff. There, the doctors would place strange liquids on my wound, and at the same time they would cast _Heal_ on it, and I would feel much better.

Some healers were crowding around one of the beds. I could see one of my brother's maidservants in the corner, and she was holding a handkerchief to her eyes. I ran towards the swarm of doctors, and tried to push through the crowd. "Let me pass!" I yelled, and at once my eyes started to get watery. "I order you to step aside!"

The healers parted. I ran to the side of the bed. Al-Cid was lying there, holding the left side of his abdomen. His clothes were stained with blood. He groaned, and jerked side wards. "Ugh!" he moaned. Al-Cid struggled to get up, but the doctors pinned him down.

"Brother!" I cried.

"Catalina…?"

"What happened to you?" I asked Al-Cid, as tears flowed from my eyes.

"Rozarria…the—ugh—coup—I escaped."

"A coup? There was a coup?"

Al-Cid took my hand. His hands were cold, and shivering. In a faint and quivering voice, he muttered.

"Leosandro."


	18. Chapter 18

_Author's Note:_

_Hey there, guys! Airbendergal here!_

_The cat's finally out of the bag. Larsa finally realized that Leosandro was behind this._

_A rumor of war circulates around the city, and Larsa must now make a choice whether to go to war or not._

_The banners fly high! The empires make ready for the coming war!_

_But, Catalina faces a war between herself, and must now confess Leosandro's true intentions to Emperor Larsa._

_Will she do it?_

_Keep on reading to find out! (And don't forget to review! *winks*)  
>~Airbendergal<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18:<strong>

"So…this is all Lord Leosandro Fergaza's doings?"

My older brother, Al-Cid, remained in the infirmary for a few more days. Apparently he had been shot. The doctors did their best to treat him, which was for certain, but they had told us that his bullet wound proved much more fatal than a deep cut made by a sword strike. The bullet remained in his bod, and they had to take it out through a precise operation.

"I should have known better," Larsa muttered to himself. "Lord Leosandro had the perfect alibi: he is a military man, and the head of the Department of Interpersonal connections. He has many allies, in and out of Rozarria. Plus, he is one of the lower masters of the Rozarrian empire, is he not?

I nodded. As of now, my only concern was of my family and Al-Cid.

"We still do not know of his motives…" Larsa sighed. He repeated the message of the dying Rozarrian and tried to analyze it. "Tell the emperor that the blue and red flags shall meet. The crown shall be placed on the second serpent's head. The tower mighty and the city shall fall. A clash of swords and fire. And I will win the battle in the end."

I still felt guilty about not telling the emperor the truth. But I could not bear to tell him anything about my past with Leosandro. Not at a time like this.

"He plans to make war with Archadia…" Larsa came to a sudden realization. "He seems to be building up an army. With his military expertise, and his possible ascent to the throne, he would be able to launch a full-scale assault."

The emperor dared not speak of my father.

"Emperor Larsa, do you think my father is dead?" I asked him.

He was silenced.

"What could have happened to my family? My parents? My siblings? They could have suffered the same fate as Al-Cid! All of them sent to Giruvegan's bossom!" I cried.

"Now, Catalina," Larsa told me calmly. "Do not be so rash."

I thought well about Leosandro. Knowing him and his desire to win my heart back, he would never do anything to hurt any of my younger siblings, or my mother. But if his desire was to be the emperor, he would only target my father and Al-Cid. They were the only two _capable_ men. Young Joseno was only five, and knew nothing of the world. His plan then, was merely…

"That's it!" I exclaimed.

The emperor looked up.

"The alliance…he means to break it," I told Emperor Larsa. "To break the alliance would mean nullifying our marriage."

That was it. That was his main motive.

"But why? Why does he mean to break the alliance when it will benefit both of our nations?" Larsa asked, and nipped his knuckle. "If Lord Leosandro meant to do that, then he would find himself in a very difficult position. We are to be wed. There is nothing he can do about it. We must have a diplomatic approach on the situation."

"Diplomatic?" I snapped. "While you wait for a diplomatic approach, Leosandro will be building up the Rozarrian Armada."

Leosandro was probably angered at my letter. He was informed of my betrothal to the emperor.

"Lord Leosandro cannot be emperor, without the grace of his holiness, the Gran Kiltias," Emperor Larsa explained. "Therefore, Rozarria will not recognize him as their ruler. I believe that only groups of his people shall fight for him. And possibly the Jyllanders."

"The Jyllanders _were _Rozarrians."

"Yes, indeed, they were," Larsa gazed towards the distance. "I shall talk about this with the senate, and the Royal War Council."

I nodded. "May Faram give you his guidance."

Emperor Larsa proceeded to the senate house, where he discussed with the parliament of their intentions of peace or of war.

Meanwhile, I had stayed with my brother at the infirmary. His maidservant, Anhella, was feeding him some Archadian grapes. Poor Al-Cid remained on his bed, and he was just recovering from his previous operation. The doctors said he was on his way to recovery, and sooner he would be out of harm's way. Al-Cid could speak, and was beginning to regain his spontaneity.

"Ah, Catalina…" he spoke in his hoarse voice.

"Brother…" I tried to fight back my tears. "What happened in Rozarria?"

Al-Cid groaned. His memory was a painful one. "We were meant to have a celebration, for the alliance of Archadia and Rozarria. There was a large festival, a beautiful one, with those flying lanterns and confetti. One the night of the celebration, a large group of our own military turned against us. They fired at the crowds, killing dozens of people. The storm of rebels made their way into the palace, and they got to us. They took mother, and our sisters, and Joseno. And they cornered, us, Edelmiro and I. The gunners came in and stood in a row; their guns were angled at us…"

"Then?" I asked him. But Al-Cid raised his hand and signaled the maidservant to feed him a grape. Al-Cid smiled cockily and I rolled my eyes. He was still the same brother I learned love.

"…Then…" Al-Cid said his with mouth still full. He was making it hard for me to take him seriously. "Out of nowhere, in he came. Lord Leosandro Fergaza, the man who had started it all. Leosandro was a skilled military man. He is your lover."

"_Was_ my lover," I corrected. A deep pang hit me in the chest.

"He ordered his men to fire at father," continued Al-Cid. "But I tried to save him, and jumped in front of him. Bullets hailed down from the heavens like rain. Unluckily, one had hit me. The world around me started to fade to black, and I thought I was surely going to depart this life. But as the world around me grew fainter, I saw him, that serpent, Leosandro. And he ordered his men not to hold their fire, so that I would suffer and see father be taken away before my very eyes."

At his last words, his voice diminished, and his eyes grew glassy. Never in my life had I seen my brother cry.

"They did not kill Edelmiro," Al-Cid told me. "They beat him up severely with the blunt ends of their rifles. The clobbered him, and hammered him, like an animal! Father fell to the ground; his feeble body was covered in black and blues. I tried to stop them, and I yelled and screamed, but the soldiers took me to Leosandro. And he left a message. He said, '_And so it begins, Catalina, my love._' They brought father away; he was unconscious. I ran for my life, and managed to escape."

"Leosandro, he wants to become emperor?" I asked Al-Cid.

"Yes, he does, and will do anything to obtain the throne. He has all the power in the world to do so, but the people will not recognize him as the emperor. Not unless the Gran Kiltias gives him his blessing. And he needs to have bloodline from the royal family."

So that is why he wants me! He has tried to win me back desperately, at a pitiful attempt to have the throne! That is why Leosandro needs to win my sympathy, and that is why he was so angered when I told father of my betrothal. Leosandro was waiting for the right time to strike a coup. He had deceived so many people in order to get what he wished. I am the only woman in the Margrace family capable of being wed. What better way to become the next emperor than by marrying the royal family's eldest daughter?

"But why does he want to become emperor? What is his intention?"

My brother just shrugged. "Power, more likely."

"When are they going to attack?" I asked Al-Cid.

"I am uncertain, but his followers are creating an army. He has already gotten connections from across Rozarrian territory. If he is successful in creating a large army, it is possible that even our own allies will turn against us. It could be in a few days, or maybe even less. His banners fly high."

I frowned. "_The tower mighty and the city shall fall. _Archades. They wish to charge into the citadel."

"Hmph! It was very foolish of that Leosandro to let me escape. I would tell you all his secrets!" Al-Cid exclaimed, and he asked Anhella to put the stalk of grapes next to his mouth. "Charging into Archades is no simple task. They would have to cross into the Galtean Peninsula, which includes Dalmasca and the other neighboring kingdoms west of Archadia."

"Unless…Leosandro has men who have already infiltrated the city…" I said.

"You must tell Larsa of his true intentions…" Al-Cid spoke.

"I cannot," I replied curtly.

"Why do you hesitate?" Al-Cid coughed.

I was so afraid to tell him. "Brother…I…"

Al-Cid looked at me weirdly, and then he sighed. "Ai-Ai-Ai, here you are again with the secrets!"

"Brother, what if he finds out that I am the cause of all this war?" I asked him in a soft voice. "The only reason why Leosandro does this is to win back my heart."

"The only reason why he wants to win back your heart is to become emperor, do you not see?" Al-Cid pulled himself up, and rested his back on the bed frame behind him. "Hah, Catalina, Leosandro does not love you! He uses you to become emperor. Why do you hesitate to tell the emperor of him? Do you fear for his being? Is it possible that you are still enamored by him?"

I thought of Leosandro, and his attempt at seducing me. I blushed. "No."

"Plus, if you yielded to your idea, then that would benefit Leosandro," Al-Cid added. "It would be another perfect alibi: the princess of Rozarria would be coined 'guilty' of starting the war. This would cause uprising in the Archadian government, and it would make one and all question the credibility of your marriage with Emperor Larsa. In the end, there will be no other way than to annul your wedding with the emperor, and return to Rozarria."

My eyes enlarged. Leosandro was capable of doing this.

"I will tell Larsa," I decided. I stood up, and was about to walk away. "Thank you again, brother."

"Ah, come here!" Al-Cid called.

I went close to him and bent down.

"My secret, you have heeded it?" he asked.

"Yes. Yes, I have," I smiled warmly.

"Good…" And Al-Cid's voice trailed off into a soft sigh.


	19. Chapter 19

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys! Airbendergal here!_

_Sorry that it took a bit long to upload. It was my birthday, so I was very busy._

_I am still inspired now. So, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy._

_Looks like Archadia and Rozarria aren't the only ones fighting in this war._

_And here's more LarsaxCatalina moments for all you fans._

_Keep on reading guys! We're reaching the final leg of the fanfic._

_Hmmm...I wonder what's going to happen in the end. Even I don't know yet._

_~Airbendergal_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19:<strong>

I had never seen rain in three months. It was a total blessing for me to see the dark gray heaps of clouds in the horizon the next morning. Dark clouds were coming towards the city from the north, and Emperor Larsa usually told me that the rains that came from that direction were strong and lengthy. The northern Naldoan sea was a perilous place, where storm clouds would be created.

The heavy downpour of rain started about half past noon, when the emperor and I were having lunch. The loud thunderclaps echoed through the heavens, and being up high in the Imperial Palace did not help us one bit. We were face to face with the streaks of lightning that split the sky. I was never used to being so close to lightning. We were so close; I could almost feel the static surge through my limbs. Emperor Larsa was used to it, no doubt. He lived in the palace for all of his life. The sound of thunder did not scare him. He was immovable as a rock.

"What of the war, Emperor Larsa?" I asked him.

"I conversed with the Royal War Council. I am afraid that we have to send our fleets," Larsa replied, looking at me wearily. "After your brother's sudden appearance, I fear that the situation is far beyond our reach. We should not be afraid of the Rozarrian armada."

"You should not underestimate it!" I cried. "Rozarria's armada is one of the largest in Ivalice. We have over a thousand warships. All of them are filled to the brim with gunpowder and machines."

"A formidable opponent," Larsa muttered.

"To be sure!" I exclaimed. "Believe me when I say this, my lord. The Rozarrian fleet is a prevailing force. Our warships have endured the many long years of battle. Our most devoted war generals will stop at nothing to follow their master's orders."

Larsa frowned. "I see…"

"But Archadia, on the other hand, has the advantage, I believe," I said, and stood up. "Archadia is one of the most powerful countries in the world. Your army is the most feared in the world. It is certain that our fleets tremble at the sounds of your trumpets. Has the Archadian Empire lost its wanderlust, then? Are you just caged birds?"

"No, we are not of what you speak," Larsa snapped firmly. He rose from his chair, and asked me to walk with him around the room. We strolled together, arm in arm.

As we walked, I could feel his arm tremble. The sky was dark and weary, and it seemed as if Archades herself were crying. The thunder rumbled and groaned, and I did my best to stay close to him. He was comfortably warm, and a certain air surrounded him like a beautiful summer breeze. Emperor Larsa paced slowly, and I could hear the soft clinks and clicks of the golden beads on his headdress among the rolls of the thunder. The air was moist and stuffy, and yet he was not bothered by anything.

"There are many things I am afraid of, Catalina," Larsa said, and he pulled me closer. "One of them is going to war."

"Many are afraid of war."

"That is just the problem. You are probably the only person I can share this with: I am no military genius. I probably have the weakest sense of foresight. If there is anything that I am horrible at doing, it is sending out my men. The Archadian army—I fear it has lost its curb for war. The many years I have struggled for peace would be in vain, were I to send the armies. People would die, lives would be lost, and many men would not be able to return to their families. And, many children would suffer the same fate as I: orphaned and stripped off happiness. I would never want that to happen."

"Do not speak of yourself so roughly."

"But what if it is true?" Larsa asked, and his lips started to quiver. "I am frightened, least to say, and I cannot bear to see airships on the horizon. I have already failed at so many things, and I…fear I cannot live up to the expectations of my forefathers."

"So you fear failure?" I asked, and I stepped back a bit.

We came to a halt. The emperor faced about, and looked down to shield his face.

"I am a coward; nothing more than a sheep hiding in a lion's skin," Larsa said in a somewhat muffled voice. His robe quivered, and the beads on his crown chimed. He buried his face in his hands, and sobbed.

"Ai…" I sighed. I reached out and touched his back. "Larsa, please…let us sit."

The man rubbed his eyes, and nodded. I took him to the nearest sofa, and looked at him considerately. For an emperor, powerful and majestic, it was quite a rare occasion to see him break down into tears. He grunted and wept dramatically. This did not seem to be real at all. I took hold of his hands. They were blocky and much larger than mine.

"You must stop with this nonsense," I told him, and looked at his face. He looked like a wet chocobo; absolutely miserable. "It will do you no good if you cry."

I could not see his eyes clearly; all his bangs were getting in his face. I slowly parted his loose locks to the sides of his face so I could see him clearer. Emperor Larsa's eyes were red and puffy, and his nose was a bright pink. I took a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped his tears.

"I am fine," Larsa said.

"You are far from fine, Emperor Larsa," I retorted, as I drew back my handkerchief. I placed it in his hands. "Please, I pray that you do not look down upon yourself. You are a devoted man, an excellent ruler, and a genius. Anything that Leosandro can do, you can do better. We will win, Larsa. We will, I warrant you. Because you have something that Leosandro does not. You have the heart of a lion. You have compassion, and valiance. You have mercy towards your people, and you have patience for me. And never in my life have I known a man as patient as you. Now, come here."

Larsa sniffed. He leaned towards me, and rested his head on my shoulder.

"Ah, sometimes you act very much like a boy," I smiled, and I stroked his head.

There was silence for a while, and the only thing I could hear was Larsa's soft whimper.

"I do not want to disappoint my empire," he said in a soft voice.

"You would never…" I took his shoulders and pushed him back a bit. "My lord, you must lead these people to battle. If you do not fight back, then Leosandro would take thousands of lives. You can show Leosandro your true strength, may that be in numbers or power. Leosandro, you see, is a man who wants nothing but results, and is a visual man. Unless he sees defeat, he will keep on fighting. I know him, much more than you think."

The emperor nodded. "I understand."

"Do not be afraid to fight," I advised him. "I have full confidence in you. And you will not be alone, Emperor Larsa. Your allies will stand strong with you. I will stay by your side."

"I am thankful," Larsa smiled warmly. He used my handkerchief to wipe his face. Then, he reached for his headdress and took it off slowly. Emperor Larsa carried the crown in his arms, and told me it had always been such a burden to wear it. "Thank you, Catalina."

And he followed it up with a kiss.

I giggled. "Emperor Larsa, you are a very odd man. You've treated women so nonchalantly," I teased. "I am surprised at you. After the many months we have been together, never once have you tried to seduce me."

"I assure you, Catalina, that I show affection in a different manner," Larsa responded, and he chuckled. "I honor the disciplines of marriage, and I respect you very much."

"Al-Cid would be disappointed," I said, standing up. I folded my arms and raised my head. "Sometimes Archadians can get very boring, really."

"Thank you," he rejoined sarcastically.

"Now, where is your next destination, Emperor Larsa?" I asked him.

"We make haste to the main atrium. I am expecting a very important guest."

"An important guest? Dear Faram, I hope that she did not come by airship! She would have gotten pummeled in this thunderstorm."

As we walked through the corridors together, the sounds of thunder acknowledged us. Lightning lit up the dark sky, flashed for a second and faded away. I was awfully terrified of lightning now that I had lived so high in the sky. The emperor held me tighter when I whined. I shielded my eyes as a sudden zap of lightning split through the sky.

"Who is this guest, exactly?" I asked Larsa. I squinted.

"A very special ally of Archadia. Her country has pledged truce with us."

We passed a couple of guards and they bowed to us.

In a few minutes we had made our way to the main atrium, located near the entrance of the imperial palace. The atrium was a tube-like structure with a high ceiling and a glass dome roof. The heavy downpour of rain could clearly be seen through the ceiling. The glass roof was so clear that I felt like we were about to get buffeted by large drops of rain. The walls were painted a sandy color, and some areas were covered with thick vines. The flooring of the atrium was a clear, pearly marble, which was often shined by the cleaners of this floor.

Judge Gabranth and Judge Zargabaath were in the chamber with a few guards, and they surrounded a woman. The woman was elegant and beautiful. She had lovely pale hair, which collected at the end of her chin, and striking blue eyes. She wore a beautiful headdress and a long, white gown which was adorned with golden accents. Larsa's guest was definitely royalty. She spoke vivaciously with the judges, and later had taken notice of the emperor and I.

"Oh, if it isn't Emperor Larsa!" the woman exclaimed, and she rushed to greet us. "Good afternoon, your Excellency." The guest bowed.

I had definitely seen this woman before. Her name was at the tip of my tongue.

"And, is that you, Lady Catalina?" And she examined me thoroughly. "I was informed that you two are to be wed! I must extend my most pleasant congratulations. Your brother, Al-Cid's here in the palace, is he not? I heard that he had been injured."

She knew brother. Of course I had met her before.

"You two are acquainted, Queen Ashe?" asked Larsa.

"Oh, yes, Queen Ashelia! It is very wonderful you've come to visit!" I exclaimed. For a moment there I had almost forgotten your name. I turned to my partner. "We are acquainted, very much. Queen Ashelia visited Rozarria not so long ago."

"Oh, Catalina, you're a lovely lady," the queen told me. "And both of you have grown all too well."

Queen Ashelia was the queen of Dalmasca, one of the more powerful kingdoms in the Galtean Penninsula. Dalmasca had been conquered by Archadia once in the past, but the kingdom had fought for its independence. Dalmasca had been the battlefield for the Great War. Archadia's greatest warship, the _Bahamut_ had sunk not far from Dalmasca's capital, Rabanastre, and had served as a reminder of the tyranny that had once befallen them. Emperor Larsa had given back Dalmasca's sovereignty, but the people had not repaid him well. Queen Ashelia promised Larsa that she would have to repay him for his deed. She would repay him with her army.

Queen Ashe was a formidable and independent woman. She was strong and autonomous, and she had the traits of a true Dalmascan ruler. "I have received your letter, Emperor Larsa," Queen Ashe said to him. "I was informed of an internal revolt in Rozarria. I was told that a Rozarrian lord started a coup against his emperor. He ruined the royal family. You told me that he is building up an army, and that his fleets could possibly outnumber the Archadian armada."

"This is true," Larsa nodded. "And thus, we need your help."

"I'll always honor a ruler who is able to humble himself. Asking help from a smaller country takes great modesty," Queen Ashe bowed. "Dalmasca will repay for your great deeds, Larsa. Our country pledges to fight alongside yours."


	20. Chapter 20

_Author's note:_

_Hey guys! AIrbendergal here._

_I have some great news for you! I'll be working on a trailer for The Lion and the Rose, and I'll be posting it on Youtube. Hopefully you guys can watch it, I'll post the link here next time. I have to balance out my schedule now a days, though. Classes will be starting in a week. So...it might take me a while longer to write and update new chapters._

_So here, I have a new chapter for you guys. It's pretty long, but you'll enjoy it._

_Keep on reading, and reviewing!_

_~Airbendergal_

**C****hapter 20:**

Queen Ashelia was a marvelous companion. She was an amiable yet frank person. There was something about her that I had admired so much. She was steadfast, independent, and responsible, plus she had a sense of duty. The way she spoke was so befitting for a queen, yet her words were so sharp. She had a quick mind and an even quicker tongue, so I found it fascinating to argue with her on many different issues like men and fashion. Queen Ashe was a formidable opponent, no doubt.

I had first met Queen Ashe when I was eleven years old, when she visited Rozarria for the first time. My older brother Al-Cid had invited her over for a so called "state visit", but this state visit seemed to be more of a vacation rather than a political affair. Al-Cid had took Ashe everywhere, from the cliffs of Ambervale to see the magnificent sunset across the horizon, to the newly constructed oil riggs off the outmost coast of the sandsea.

That afternoon, Larsa had met up with Queen Ashe's most trusted war generals, and they continued to the war chambers in the senate house. Ashe and I were left alone in the palace, so I asked for her help to pick a dress that I should wear to tonight's formal dinner. The queen gladly accepted; she had loved dresses so much. "A few Archadian dresses came in this morning," I told her. "I hoped that you could help me decide what to wear for tonight."

I brought the queen into my bedchambers, and into my walk-in closet. The new dresses were segregated into a different closet, so I would be able to distinguish the old from new clothes. There were five new dresses that came in. They were all so different: there was a green one, a red one, a purple one, a dark blue one, and a magenta colored one.

Queen Ashe got one of the dresses. "You should really wear this one, Catalina," she suggested, as she held up the emerald green dress. It was embellished in golden beads that lined its collar and hem. "All these Archadian dresses are so intricate. The dressmakers must've put so much effort into making them, don't you think?"

"Oh, indeed!" I replied. I took the dress and spun around with it, holding it close to my chest. "I think it is wonderful. Edith, come. Help me change into this attire."

My assistant came into the closet and assisted me in putting on the dress.

Queen Ashelia walked across the room, admiring all the furnishings. She sat on the futon, and ran her hand across the mounds on the base of the sofa. Then, she took off her crown and rested her head on the back of the seat.

Edith helped me place on my undershirt, and then the corset. I inhaled deeply as she tightened the blasted thing. I had always hated corsets, but they had to be worn in more _formal_ occasions. During informal days I could walk around the palace freely without any hindrance on my waist. I then slipped on the dress. The beautiful, soft cloth followed the contour of my body, and at once I became embarrassed at my dreadful hips. I walked out of the closet awkwardly to show myself to the queen.

"I think it's wonderful!" Ashe stated. She stood up and ran her hands down the sides of my dress. "The length is just right. Do you have a necklace to go with that?" And she stared at the pendant Larsa had given to me.

"Oh, this will do just fine," I smiled, as I played with the chain of the pendant, gliding it through my fingers. "You know, this is the necklace that Emperor Larsa gave to me. It's a betrothal necklace."

"Oh, that's gorgeous!" Ashe commented. She took hold of it and examined it. She looked at me and smiled. "You have to tell me how he is like, Catalina."

"Larsa?" I asked, and blushed at the thought of him. A smile crawled on my face. "Well, hah, it's a rather complicated story…"

Ashe sat down. "Do tell." She was an eager listener.

Just then, a flash of lightning split the sky, and I almost screamed.

I usually did not like gossiping with any one, but Queen Ashelia was a very good exception. I had the urge to tell someone, most likely a woman, who would understand me, and I would want to tell her a story that included no ulterior motives or biases. Queen Ashe was the very person who fit the criteria: she was a woman of the same rank as I, and she was married once in the past. Ashe had told me that she had little intentions of getting married to anyone again, despite the numerous courters that she had met in the past years. Two of them had been Rozarrian lords.

"They're all very romantic, the Rozarrians," Ashe sighed. "But anyway, tell me more of Larsa. Do you like him?"

"Of course I do. If I didn't like him, then I would not be here," I replied. "Emperor Larsa is a great man. I highly respect him, and he does the same for me. Sometimes he can get a bit boring, but he is very pleasing."

The queen grinned. "Larsa's a very fine man. He's a product of good breeding. And you know that the Archadians care much about their family lines."

"Yes…" And I thought of the tabloids that had insulted my engagement to the emperor. "Some people had criticized Larsa and me for being together. Apparently, it has only been the second time in history that an emperor of Archadia had married a foreigner."

"In Dalmasca, you can marry anyone!" Ashe bragged. She was very patriotic. "Here in Archadia your choices are limited. A lord would marry a lady. Lucky for you, Catalina. You're going to be Archadia's next empress, and you're engaged to the most influential bachelor in the world. Thousands of young ladies would do anything to be in your position right now."

"I would consider myself very lucky then."

Edith went behind me and started to comb my hair. She gathered my locks and tied it up in a high bun.

"Do you find him attractive?" asked Ashe.

"Hmm…" I thought about it for a while and then giggled. "It depends, really. He could have been more attractive were it not for his stoic demeanor. Sometimes he can get very serious, and it is hard to get passed his poker face. Other times, he can be very charming, and yes, attractive. He has a wonderful smile. It makes him look so innocent. Many people would mistake him for a docile lamb, but my Larsa is a lion."

"A lion, you say?"

The rain continued to cascade from the heavens. The sky was dull and grey, and there were no signs of the sun. The lightning had ceased for a while, and I was placed to ease.

The queen and I moved to a drawing room in the west wing of the palace. The room was long and thin. It had a low ceiling and many small chandeliers that stretched across the room. At the end of the stretch was a terrace, over viewing the Tchita Uplands. The room was filled with taxidermy; head plates of ixion, vipers, chocobos and many different animals decorated the walls.

"I cannot believe that I will be living here for my entire life!" I cried. "This place is marvelous, I have to say, but when you're alone it can get very saddening. I feel sad for Larsa, sometimes. It must have been miserable that he was all alone for eight years, without a family."

"He will not be alone anymore," Ashe told me. "Larsa will have you. And when you two are wed, you will be able to start a family."

I blushed. "You are right…"

"Ah, you remind me so much of myself…well, my more youthful self, that is," Ashe smiled warmly, as she rested her arm on the side rest of the sofa. "Lord Rasler and I…we were so in love, despite the fact it was a political marriage. He was nineteen, and I was seventeen, and all was well…Yet, circumstances change, and later I had found myself staring right into his coffin. It was his destiny, I guess. My husband died a noble death, and he fought to protect all of his kingdom."

"Oh, my condolences, Queen Ashelia," I said softly.

"Destiny. Hmm, that's a funny word…" Ashe drummed her fingers lightly on the armrest. The soft rolls of thunder echoed throughout the hall. "I find it pretty unfair that we humes know nothing about it. If only we knew what the future held, then we could find a way to change it."

"That makes things less exciting, then," I retorted.

"I suppose it does!" Ashe rejoined.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Our eyes went to the entrance of the room. The door opened slightly and a head peeked out. It was my brother, Al-Cid. He was wearing his favorite sunglasses, in the middle of a thunderstorm? I always knew he was eccentric.

"Ah, Queen Ashe!" he exclaimed. At once the door swung wide open and he burst in, with his arms wide open. Anhella followed in behind him, carrying a handkerchief. Al-Cid took off his glasses and passed it to the maidservant behind him. "Catalina, why didn't you tell me that Queen Ashe was with you at this hour! Hah, I was getting bored at the infirmary so I insisted on going around!"

"Brother…" I sighed. He had intruded on us, and ruined my mood.

"Lord Al-Cid," Ashe stood up and looked at him. My brother seized Ashe's hand and kissed it. "Ah, it has been such a long time…I was beginning to think you had forgotten me."

"I would never forget a man like you, Lord Al-Cid," Ashe said, and it bordered on sarcasm.

"You still look as beautiful as ever. Dalmasca's desert bloom never withers away, I see!" Al-Cid complimented. "Years of hard work would've stripped a woman of her magnificence, but this is not the case for you, Queen Ashe."

The queen reddened. "You speak too kindly, Lord Al-Cid."

"Brother, what are you doing here?" I said coldly. "Queen Ashe and I were in the middle of a conversation."

"I have gotten information from some of my sources that a one of Leosandro's couriers will be coming to the palace tomorrow morning. If what my little birds tell me is correct, then that courier will be carrying a letter, announcing a formal declaration of war on Archadia," Al-Cid said in a solemn voice. "I thought it would only be best to tell you and Queen Ashe of what is yet to come."

My eyes widened.

"We must make our move, then," Queen Ashelia muttered. "If Leosandro's army would be dispatched, then we have little time on our hands. Rozarria borders Dalmasca at the sandsea. If we were to carry out the battlefront there, then I believe we shall sustain little casualties. We dare not bring the battle to close to Rabanastre."

"He will be sending five hundred battleships," Al-Cid added. "He _borrowed_ some airships from Jylland territory. Wouldn't that be drastic? To think Jylland would be blamed once more for the imperial battle. Leosandro has already started to build his battle frontiers."

"I will send my generals out at once," Ashe nodded. "We must make haste."

At once the queen left the room, and I followed her. Al-Cid remained inside the drawing room. He spread himself across the futon, admiring the taxidermy that stared back at him.

* * *

><p>That night, the lightning and thunder strengthened. The wind picked up, and the clouds moved so fast, I was beginning to think that I was in the middle of some tempest. The storm was strong and unnerving. I was alone in bed, suffocating myself in a mound of pillows, trying desperately to muffle the sharp crashes of thunder. My heart beat fast; I could not sleep. I was anxious of tomorrow, of Al-Cid's news. My brother's news was <em>always <em>right. I dared not question it. Leosandro was to send a courier, and declare a war on Archadia. If that were to happen, Larsa would send his men, and he would join them at the crossfire.

As an emperor, you had rule over all branches of government; over economic, social and military powers. As an emperor, you would have to join your forces, according to the rules of engagement, and would have to face the other party's leader before battle, at a last effort to back out. Emperor Larsa was scared of war, this was certain. He cried in front of me; he would never cry. He told me that Archadia's power had been dwindling due to his overrule of peace, and he feared her forces would be susceptible at a time such as this.

Emperor Larsa…I wish that you would find courage in yourself to win this war.

Lightning lit up the sky, and the bellow of thunder followed. I tossed and turned in my bed. I was frightened of the storm. It was as if Odin and Ramuh were to take me while I was asleep. The night was cold, and the fire that kept me warm started to fade to embers. The wind howled and shrieked like a banshee. The shutters of my window slammed open and close. I wished the night would end already.

I got up from bed, still holding my comforter, and walked outside to the hall. The hallway was eerie and long, and the rain had created striped patterns on the shadows across the floor. Yet, at the end of the hallway, across the staircase there was a small light, and I desperately tried to follow it. When I had reached the source of the radiance, I found myself at the door of the emperor's bedchambers.

I knocked.

And Larsa opened.

"Catalina," he said in a surprised tone. He was holding a lamp in his hand.

"I am afraid," I told him.

"Do you want to enter?" the man asked, opening the door slightly.

I looked back at the dark hallway and swore I could see shadows following me.

I entered his room hurriedly, dragging my large comforter like a rag doll.

Emperor Larsa peeked out to the hallway, but nothing had alarmed him. He shut the door soundly, and looked at me astounded. I felt like a little girl who thought that there was a monster hiding under her bed. Larsa shook his head and sighed. "The storm is scaring you?" he asked.

I looked around the emperor's bedchamber. It was large, and had a high ceiling. There was a high window at the far end of the room, and a desk and many papers that spilled across the floor. I could not distinguish much of the other features of his room, for I could not see very well. Across me, I could distinguish his large bed and a bedside table with a lamp.

"You are still awake…" I said in a faint voice, shivering in the cold weather.

"Yes, I was just about to finish some of my papers…" And he scrutinized me.

There was an awkward silence for a while.

"Err…I am so frightened of the thunder, and I am alone," I told him.

The emperor raised his brows.

"Very well then," Larsa responded bluntly. "You can stay with me for a while."

At once my heart started to beat faster. I never expected that response.

"Stay in my bed," he pointed towards the large bed with the canopy. "I will just be working on some documents, for the meanwhile. They're dreadfully overdue. I have to pass them to the senate by tomorrow. If you need anything, do not hesitate to call me."

My eyes widened. Oh, thank Faram! I actually thought he would share the bed with me.

"Very well, then," I told him, as I wrapped the comforter around myself, and made my way to the emperor's bed. The sheets of the bed and its pillows were in perfect condition, which meant that he did not even go to sleep yet. I felt embarrassed to mess up his bed, but he had insisted I should feel alright. I slipped into the sheets, and placed the comforter over myself. The bed was soft and cool, and it would take some time for me to warm it up.

Emperor Larsa pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed, looking at me sleepily. He yawned.

How awkward. "Where will you sleep, then?" I asked him, closing my eyes.

"On this chair," he said in a soft and mellow voice. "Or wherever…it does not matter to me…as long as you are comfortable."

I rolled to the side of the bed. "You could always stay here."

The man just laughed softly, stood up and left.

The world began to grow dark, and all I could see was Larsa's figure, making its way to the desk far across the room. Slowly, I began to daze off into a soft slumber. The sound of thunder melted into a dream, and the only thing I could hear was the soft _krrkrrkrr_ of Larsa's quill on parchment.


	21. Chapter 21

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys! Airbendergal here!_

_Here's the latest chapter of the story._

_Catalina wakes up and she's in for a big surprise. LOL. _

_And another letter has come from Penelo._

_I hope you guys continue to read! That trailer of mine will be up pretty soon, so keep on checking back for the link to the video on Youtube._

_My goal is to make it before the big battle of the story, and I'm hoping to get more readers._

_So tell one and all about The Lion and the Rose. I'm sure they'll love it as much as you do._

_Thanks, guys!_

_You rock!_

_~Airbendergal_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21:<strong>

I had dreamt the same dream.

Emperor Larsa was riding on the back of a flying serpent, holding a hammer. With his weapon he hit the head of the mighty beast, and it shattered into a thousand flaming shards that rained down from the heavens.

What could this have meant? Did it mean Larsa would triumph? Or, did it mean that destruction would befall the world?

The thunder and lightning had given me a pitiful reason to feel scared, and to resort in shelter by my partner's side. Even if I had slept in his bed, the thoughts of war could not escape me. They became prevailing in my dreams. But, as I woke, a certain air of calmness surrounded me. My vision had grown clearer; I could see the beautiful morning. The clouds were all gone, and a soft, radiant glow bounced across the walls of his room.

The storm had passed.

Slowly I sat up, stretched my arms, yawned, and whipped my fingers though the thick brush of my curly hair.

My first concern of the day was Leosandro's courier, but I had also thought about poor Emperor Larsa. He had been working late that night (I reckoned he had always done so), and he quickly stated that he would be sleeping on a chair. What a senseless man! What kind of emperor sleeps on a chair?

I looked to my left, to the wide open area, where a chair once sat, and realized that it had been missing. Last night, I rolled to the side of his bed, and gave him an acceptable offer of sharing, but his last reply was a laugh and a head-shake. Too busy, was he? I would like to see him work on those documents all night! Hmph!

I looked to my right, to the other side of the bed. It was empty and unsatisfying, but as I moved to the middle of the mattress I realized the empty space was still a bit warm. At once my ears started to get hot and I snapped off the sheets that covered the lower half of my body. I jerked backwards as the blankets flew, expectant to see a certain senseless man under the covers. But in the end, there was none. I was relieved.

Then, there was a knock.

"My lord?"

I cursed under my breath. It was a maidservant.

Another series of knocks.

I almost shrieked. I got into frenzy, trying to hide myself under many sheets and pillows. The sounds of clapping cloth seemed to have bothered the woman.

"My lord, is everything alright?" The tone of her voice was so unnerving.

My heart started racing, and I desperately looked around for my fiancé. His room was abnormally large, and filled with doors and walk-in closets. The man was nowhere in sight.

The doorknob started to turn, and at once I knew I was in trouble. Oh Faram, save me now!

I ducked under the covers, but I could not fit! Curse you tight beddings! I struggled to swim deeper into the sea of pillows, kicking and tossing to try to get into a tight curl. I could hear the muffled _thud_s of the pillows as they crashed onto the floor. I would be in big trouble if that woman spotted me!

I heard a creaking noise in front of me. Then, a scream, and the sound of shattering porcelain.

I blinked painfully. I was caught.

At once I abandoned the thought of hiding, and struggled to get my head out of the fortress of pillows. I breathed for air, and took a look at the maidservant remorsefully. When I saw her, I immediately knew who she was. Berthadel, the emperor's morning tea server. She was old, skinny and easily frightened.

"Lady Catalina!" she cried. At once she dropped to the floor, and gathered up broken shards of a ready-made tea set. Everything had shattered: the teapot, the teacups, and even the plates. There was a large stain on the carpeted floor. "F-Forgive me for intruding! I s-shall go out r-right away!"

She was absolutely red in the face, and as she picked up the pieces of porcelain, she constantly looked at the disarrayed sheets and pillows. From the look of her eyes, I knew exactly what she was thinking.

Oh, dear Faram, please save this lady from ill-thinking!

I jumped out of bed at an attempt to clear her mind. I rushed and helped her mop the floor with one of her rags. At once the maidservant slapped my wrist lightly, and my eyes widened.

"No, you mustn't, my lady!" Berthadel's eyes were glassy. "Please, resume your duties!"

My _duties_? Oh, no. I had no duties in this room.

That fool of a maid would tell the whole palace that I shared the night with Emperor Larsa!

"Wait, you do not understand!" I yelled at her, as she scurried down the hallway. A line of tea stains followed close behind her. I watched in agony as her tiny figure faded away into the distance. I groaned, and slammed the door shut. "Wonderful, Catalina. Wonderful!"

The room was quiet for a while, and then I heard a soft rustle.

Was it another servant?

It was not. I walked to the origin of the rustling sound, and found Emperor Larsa, in one of his walk in closets, changing into his imperial garments. He had already placed on the first layer of his purple garb, and was fixing the sleeves and shoulder padding. He acted very stoic, as he usually did, and did not seem to hear all the ratchet I had pulled off a few moments back. He stared into the mirror, combing his hair like a total aristocrat: slowly, then he whisked his comb upwards as it reached the tips of his dark locks.

"My lord!" I yelled, my face red.

"Ah, Catalina, good morning," he smiled from his reflection. "I hope you had a pleasant sleep."

His demeanor was light and cheeky. That deceptive weasel!

"You are the one to be blamed for all of this!" I cried. I looked at his reaction. He was completely pokerfaced. It was as if nothing had happened. "Do not pretend like you didn't hear what happened a few moments ago!"

The man stood up and fixed on his cape. He did not respond.

"Now everyone in the palace is going to think that we did _things_!" I exclaimed.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," he replied bluntly, and he fastened his golden belt.

"Admit it!"

"Admit what?"

"You actually slept on the bed, yes?"

The emperor scoffed. "I cannot understand the workings of women."

"Oh, you are so infuriating! If you were not going to be my husband, I would kill you right on the spot! Now everyone's going to think something happened to us last night."

"Then, let them think," Emperor Larsa replied. "All a man needs is a reputation."

And he twitched. A smile was slowly emerging from the corner of his lips.

"You men will never learn!" I frowned, and stormed off.

* * *

><p>Breakfast with Lady Ashe and Al-Cid was a bit awkward this morning. I did not talk to any of them; I was too embarrassed to speak to anyone at all. The servants that came and refilled my goblet of water looked at me weirdly, and I had realized that they too had found out about this "incident".<p>

Queen Ashe looked at me for a second. She was about speak, but she drew back her lips.

I looked down in humiliation.

Emperor Larsa joined us a few moments later, and he came in with a letter. The letter bore the _Scarlet Serpent_, and at once I knew it was from Penelo. The emperor looked as serious as ever.

"Penelo brings news to us," Emperor Larsa said, as he unraveled the message. "_The leader of the coup is Leosandro_, and this we know, _and he is to send hundreds of warships northeast, towards the direction of Archades. _Apparently, the espionage of Rozarria, rumored to be one of the best in the world, found out about Dalmasca's truce, and _They_ _plan to cut through the Dalmascan front lines if ever necessary. At a sudden whim, Leosandro burnt down an entire farm village, to show other lowly men to fear him. Reports say that many Rozarrians have died in the capital already, and the emperor has been exiled._"

"Exiled, my father?" I asked, as my heart sunk. "Where have they taken him?"

"Details are unknown," Larsa replied, as he looked at me. "But according to Penelo, they've spotted the ship that carried him off the coast of Rozarria. I am very sorry, Catalina."

"I see…" At once I looked at my brother. He was as saddened as I was.

"Leosandro's killing hundreds of innocent people," Al-Cid frowned. "He must be stopped."

"Lord Al-Cid," Larsa said, as he placed down his letter. "Have your sources told you anything about this case?"

"My little birds tell me many things," my brother replied. "One of my birds tells me of a resistance to Leosandro's rule. These people are Margrace loyalists, servants of our family. They comprise of a large group of traders, artisans, and a portion of the upper class men. If this is true, then perhaps the resistance can help us at this time. In my opinion, your Excellency, I believe that if this Penelo can contact one of the resistance members, they could buy us some time, to gather more of our allies."

"I understand," Larsa said. "And I shall consider this very well."

Queen Ashe spoke up. "My generals have gathered the Dalmascan front, I am told," she said. "But there is no telling what direction the enemies may come from. They may have an approach from the northwest side, from the Nabreus Deadlands. They may come from the south, from the tundras far below us. Either way, Dalmasca will still be well defended."

After a depressing meal, the emperor and the queen proceeded to the throne room. I went back to my own room to get changed for the day. When I was about to enter my chambers, I found out that my brother had been following me. I looked back at Al-Cid and frowned.

"This is not the time," I told him, annoyed.

"You are a very naughty girl, Catalina!" Al-Cid teased. "I've heard about last night."

"Hah, says the man who warms the bed with four other women!"

Al-Cid laughed. I opened the door to my bedchambers, but he pulled the door back and shut it in front of my face. I sighed at him. "What is it now, Al-Cid?"

"I honestly did not think a woman like you would do such a thing."

"I did not sleep with him!" I blushed.

"I was not talking about that…" Al-Cid leaned on the wall beside me. "I never expected a woman like you to fall in love with a man like Emperor Larsa. To be honest, I think he's the dreariest man in the world. A person like you, Catalina, is free-spirited and beautiful. He is as lifeless as a pile of bones. Yet, I cannot blame you for loving him. He is the choice you've made."

"It is my duty as a princess of Rozarria," I stated firmly, and folded my arms.

"A duty? Hmm, or perhaps you think of him as more than a duty," Al-Cid tried to pinch my cheeks, but I slapped his hand away. I was losing my patience; I had no time for my brother. "That means you've learned a lot from me, sister."

I did not answer him. I went inside my bedchambers, and slowly closed the door behind me.

The air was fresh and fragrant. What had happened to my room when I was gone? I looked around and saw that nothing had changed; everything was in completely order: my bed was all fixed, the curtains were drawn, and the fireplace had been extinguished. Next to the window, though, on top of the bedside table there was a fresh bouquet of roses.

Who could have given them to me?

I went closer to my table and picked up the bouquet. The flowers were so beautiful, large and red. I sniffed them and smiled, and thought dearly of the person who could have given it to me. Then, I saw a small, blue object peeking out of the petals of a rose.

A mini hi-potion bottle?


	22. Chapter 22

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys! Airbendergal here! __Have you been enjoying the story so far?_

_As you know, The Lion and the Rose is coming to an epic finale. What awaits us is the great battle between Leosandro's army and the Archadian Empire._

_I've thoroughly enjoyed writing this fanfiction, and I am so glad that many people have loved it as much as I did._

_So anyway, before I submit a few more (sadly, last) chapters, here's the thing that I've promised. __A trailer! To the animated trailer of The Lion and the Rose on Youtube!_

_Yeehee!_

_Here is the link:_

_www. youtube. com/ watch?v=PqLuHHec_UU_

_If you're wondering why I placed a space between the words, it's because won't accept links to sites, so all you have to do now is copy the link, remove the spaces on the HTTP bar and enter, and you'll be taken to the video! Isn't that great? Hope you can watch the trailer. It's totally awesome!_

_And keep on reading the story, guys! Hope you can tell your friends about the story too. I'm sure they'll enjoy it as much as you did._

_I'm currently writing the other chapters, so keep on checking back for the updates. And don't forget to review!_

_Cheers!_

_~Airbendergal_

* * *

><p><strong>C<strong>**hapter 22:**

"My lord, a courier has arrived from Rozarria. A message, from the Rozarrian Elite!"

At once I looked up, and my heart started to race. It was Judge Gabranth. He bowed to Emperor Larsa, and then to me. The judge was uneasy; I could tell his anxiety from the way he breathed. The judge magister look short, deep breaths, as if he had ran from far across the plains of Ozmone.

Queen Ashe, Al-Cid and I were with Emperor Larsa in the throne room, anxiously waiting to see if my brother's news was correct. Al-Cid had been informed by his "little birds", or his espionage division that one of Leosandro's couriers would be arriving, and with him, a formal declaration of war on Archadia. Our ill-luck would have it that Leosandro's harbinger had arrived.

"Let him enter," Larsa ordered.

The judge looked back and signaled two imperial guards to open the doors of the chamber. At once, the wall before us parted, and a small figure in the distance made its way towards us. It was Leosandro's messenger.

The messenger was a young man, probably about Larsa's age. He looked like any other ordinary Rozarrian man: he had dark wavy locks, sun-kissed skin and a hairy chest. This man carried a satchel, which probably held the declaration manuscript. The man looked very cowardly as he stood in the presence of Emperor Larsa. This was very ironic because he was a very large and strong-looking man with large muscles.

"State your name, signor," Larsa said in his strong, emperor-like voice.

"I am Zarsuel, messenger of Emperor Leosandro."

Emperor Larsa scoffed. "Lord Leosandro is your emperor now, is he? Why do you honor him as your ruler, when he is nothing but a traitor to his own nation?"

"Emperor Leosandro is our ruler. We would want nothing else," Zarsuel replied curtly. It was as if he had been trained his whole life to mutter those simple words.

"Why are you here, messenger?" asked Larsa, as he folded his arms.

"I am here to deliver a speech act in honor of the Emperor Leosandro Al-Vibaro Fergaza." And with that, he opened his satchel and drew out a thick scroll from his side. Zarsuel unrolled the scroll until it was about the length of his torso, gripped the ends tightly with both hands, and began to read.

"A proclamation from his Excellency, Emperor Leosandro Al-Vibaro Fergaza!" The messenger cried in a loud and resonating voice. His words echoed through the large chamber that we were in. "Due to the insubordination of Lady Catalina Margrace in accepting her role as a royal head of Rozarria, a _conditional declaration _of war has been made upon the empire of Archadia, and all nations that are in alliance with the specified opponent! I quote, _'I, Emperor Leosandro Fergaza, sovereign of the Rozarrian Empire, shall bring forth an armada larger than any man has seen_. _This war can be stopped, if certain conditions are met_.' The conditions therefore, are the following…Firstly, that the Lady Catalina Margrace shall forfeit her marriage to Emperor Larsa Solidor, and return to Rozarria in order to fufill her duties as royal head. Secondly, that the Urutan-Yensa oil rigs shall be reconstructed and placed under the ownership of the Rozarrian Empire. And lastly, that the alliance between Archadia and Rozarria shall be abolished; Rozarria shall remain an independent empire, therefore having complete controls over all economic and military government divisions. If the conditions are not met within twenty-four hours, then an absolute declaration of war shall be decreed upon the empires of Archadia and Rozarria."

I started to feel water building up in my eyes. I tried to hold it back. I tried to be strong, like Emperor Larsa. Oh, how I wish I was stronger, how I wish I had more courage…I wish that I would be as brave as a lion. But I was a rose, delicate and beautiful, and at the coming of a storm, a rose would swing and sway. My partner found out that I was the cause of this war. What would he say? What would do? Would he be angered at me, at all the secrets I had kept for him? But I was to blame for this war. I could not choose between Leosandro and Larsa. I was a torn woman. I had only kept secrets to protect myself, and had the benefit of the doubt to keep me at bay.

I looked at Emperor Larsa with my glassy eyes. He shot his piercing glare at Zarsuel. His was a stare that could turn fools into stone. He stared at him for a long while, as a lion did to its prey. Larsa furrowed his brows, narrowed his eyes, and thought. The whole room became void of life, as if all the happiness in the world had been taken away.

And Emperor Larsa thought and stared, and thought until there came a time when his lips parted slightly. He blinked hard, and placed a hand on his face. He looked away from Zarsuel, and I swore that the messenger had already turned to stone.

What would Larsa say? Would he return me to Rozarria? Would he risk his whole nation for a rose?

"We cannot meet your conditions, messenger," Larsa told him frankly. "Tell your master that this cannot be done. Tell your master that Lady Catalina and I are to be civilly wed tonight."

My heart skipped a beat. Wed? Tonight?

"M-My lord…" I murmured through a cold and quivering breath.

"Catalina, be silent!" Larsa hissed, as he held up a hand. At once I looked at him, and he looked at me, his eyes burning with anger.

At once I looked away, and hot tears swelled in my eyes.

Emperor Larsa must have loved me, very much.

"Is…there no other way?" my partner asked Zarsuel.

The man did not say anything; he knew nothing. The messenger bowed to the emperor, and rolled up the scroll. At once he placed it in his satchel and said, "I will relay your message to Emperor Leosandro, your Excellency."

The emperor nodded.

And with that gesture, Zarsuel faced about and started to walk away. In my mind, I had wanted to stop him; I had wanted to rope him to a chair and never let him return to Leosandro. I wished that Leosandro would die! Oh, Faram! Leosandro should die a quick death, before any of this madness would progress! If there was only some way to stop him from leaving…but it was impossible. This man was bound to a duty, as was I. Zarsuel was bound to his master, and I was bound to the Empire. But now, my empire was dissolved, and I began to question who I was bound to.

By the time the messenger had left, the room erupted into commotion.

"What a fool!" Al-Cid was always first to remark. "Does Leosandro think that he can blame this whole war on my sister? What has she ever done to deserve such thing? This Leosandro has lost his mind over power!"

"Catalina, do you know anything about this?" Larsa asked me. His tone was less heated than before.

I guess it was time to give in. I had to tell the emperor about Leosandro.

"Leosandro Fergaza…was once my lover."

The emperor's eyes widened. He did not seem to be angered though. He was calm and collected, and his heart was wide open.

"This happened, a long time ago," I confessed. "Far before I ever knew Emperor Larsa. Leosandro and I…we were in love. I had loved him greatly, and he had done the same. He was already so close to asking my hand in marriage, I believe. But suddenly, there was a twist of fate. It was your offer, Emperor Larsa, of an alliance between Archadia and Rozarria. Because of this, Leosandro and I were separated, and he was infuriated by such matter…"

The emperor remained silent, and stared at me with the stillness of his dark eyes.

"But, my love for Leosandro is long since gone," I continued. My voice began to dwindle, and was replaced by tears. "I learned how to love you, Emperor Larsa. I had learned to forget Leosandro. I had learned of his true, monstrous nature. And I because of my love for you and the empire, Larsa, I had learned to hate the man I had once loved. Everything that has happened…is my fault…"

There were whispers from the sides of the room.

Everything that has happened to me…I deserve it! Oh, Faram! Strike me with Ramuh's sharpest bolt! I do not deserve to be an empress…I do not deserve to be anything at all! Because of a small secret that I have been hiding, I have caused the pain and deaths of thousands of people! Why, why must Leosandro do this? Why must other people have to suffer for me? I am completely helpless, powerless to help!

"I am sorry…" I cried, and fell to my knees. Pain and agony surged through my body. A weight of a thousand tons, each for a life that Leosandro had taken, had pinned me down to the ground. I struggled to breathe; yet, a part of me had wanted to stop breathing. Perhaps if I had died, then everything would stop. All the pain, agony and suffering would die along with me.

Then, I felt a hand over my head. The hand was cool and fresh, and with one touch it had taken all the weight of my shoulders away. I raised my head slowly, and I saw him. I saw my love; I saw Emperor Larsa Solidor, and with one look into his eyes, I slowly ceased crying. He knelt down beside me; he humbled himself. My partner stroked my head, and smudged my tears with his thumb. A lion, mighty and majestic was able to handle a rose, delicate and fragrant.

"Listen to me," he told me in an aged, soft voice. "This is not your fault."

Slowly I had absorbed his words, and nodded. He pulled me up, and I got to my feet. My legs were unstable, and shaky, and I had almost stumbled. Larsa placed his arms around me; he held me close, and he whispered. "Everything will be alright…"

In my heart, I wished he was true.


	23. Chapter 23

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys! Airbendergal here!_

_Have you been enjoying the story so far? I hope so!_

_The final battle is just a day away, and Emperor Larsa must plan with the other generals the proper war strategy in order to make a successful assault against Leosandro's forces of EVIL! Anyway, Al-Cid's got a marvelous plan that will fool all of those Fergaza lackeys. Haha, in your face, you loser, Leosandro! Plus, a marriage that is hidden from the world! (?)_

_Disclaimer: This chapter can get a bit dreary and "intimate" at the end (if you know what I mean) , so just warning you guys if your heart contracts._

_Who would you guys fight for? Leosandro's Army of Larsa's army? I wanna hear your answers on teh REVIEW section._

_Keep on reading, and send in those reviews! I'd love to hear from you guys. _

_~Airbendergal_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 23:<strong>

After lunch I had joined Emperor Larsa, Queen Ashelia and my brother, Al-Cid in royal war chambers. The war chambers, was located in the senate house, and was used as a place of preparation and planning for an upcoming battle. Emperor Larsa would meet with Judge Magisters and war generals in order to discuss war strategy. My partner had told me that he had not frequented the room, and he left the job of strategizing to Judge Gabranth and Judge Zargabaath. The last time he had been to the war chambers was three years ago, when the wall of Archades had been breached by some sky pirates.

In the middle of the room there was a long table, and on the table there was a map of the whole Ivalice. There were different figurines and pieces on the grid of the map, and it had much resembled a chessboard. This chessboard, and the moves that were made on this grid, though, drew a fine line between a decision of life and death. The emperor had to plan well, think a few steps ahead of the enemy, and plan immediate action.

When we had entered the room, the five Judge Magisters and a couple of Dalmascan war generals were gathered around the rectangular table, all seated in their proper places. They stood up when the emperor passed, and sat back down when Larsa had taken his seat at the far end of the table.

"Sirs," Emperor Larsa said.

"What of the courier, Emperor Larsa?" asked Judge Zargabaath.

"Lord Leosandro gave certain conditions that cannot possibly be met," Larsa replied. "The man asked that Lady Catalina be sent back to Rozarria to resume her 'royal duties', and this is most obviously a fallacy. This Leosandro also asked that the Urutan Yensa oil rigs be given back to Rozarria, and that the alliance should be broken."

"A conditional declaration, then," said another judge magister, by the name of Colladiel. "May I be so bold, your Excellency, to ask why you have not agreed to his conditions? If what he asks is as simple as returning Lady Catalina to her homeland, then why not? Let it be! Let us spare all these soldiers."

"Take into consideration the alliance, Judge Colladiel," Larsa retorted. "If Catalina were to return to Rozarria, then our efforts of producing the peace that we had longed for would be in vain. The alliance will be annulled, and a greater war would erupt between the empires. Lady Catalina represents the only hope that we have at a time such as this. You must watch your words, judge magister, and do not question the choices that I make. They are mine, and mine alone!"

The judge was silenced. "Forgive me, your majesty…"

Emperor Larsa had spoken of me so highly. I was extremely flattered and wanted to extend my thanks, but I was in no position to speak. My partner had already told the magisters and generals about our civil marriage that would take place tonight. A civil marriage, as Larsa had told me, was a more 'religious' term for a civil union. It was a simple matrimony act that required but the presence of a_ kiltia*_ and a judge. It would be a short ceremony, one that would take less than an hour. During that time, the minister would skip to the recitation of the vows, and after all was done, the only thing left to do was to sign a few documents. It was a immediate response to Leosandro's threat, and it would buy us some time to shore up our defenses. I was assured that a religious ceremony would follow in time, but all I was asked to focus on was the civil rights and rituals needed within the service.

"What do you suggest to do, my lord?" asked one of the Dalmascan generals. "Once Lord Leosandro receives word of your intentions, he will inevitably send out his armada, will or nil. Dalmasca lies in wait."

Judge Zargabaath moved some of pieces across the grid. "Rozarria borders Dalmasca southwest of the Nam Yensa sandsea, about two hundred fifty kilometers away from Rabanastre. If we send our battalions straight into the heart of Nam Yensa, then it would be a perilous purge. We rely mainly on defense."

"A pre-emptive strike, then," Judge Gabranth suggested. "We may be able to take them by surprise if we execute a strike through the north. We can penetrate their frontiers from the side."

"No, no. It is too obvious," Larsa muttered. "The strategy is too predictable. Lord Leosandro would know better than to crush us by surprise. We must find a way, somehow, to lure them towards us, and we strike from a long range…"

"Deception," my brother cut in. All heads turned to Al-Cid.

"Deception, your Excellency," Al-Cid repeated. "It may be to our advantage that the Rozarrian espionage has all ears on your every move. We should use their knowledge against them. I say we spread information that Archadia and Dalmasca are building a battlefront at the Nam Yensa border. This battlefront, though, shall be a farce…hmm…yes…"

"You mean, we recreate a base camp?" Larsa asked.

"Yes…yes…" Al-Cid stroked his chin, and collected his thoughts.

"If we plant a false squadron force at the Nam-Yensa border, we may be able to deceive the opposing army that we are to attack from there," another Dalmascan general explained. "Yes…that would mean that Lord Leosandro would be lured into ambushing the camp. He'll use a full force in order to make sure that our battlefront would be wiped out. The man would destroy everything, and only to find out that he attacked nothing but empty airship shells and destroyed canons."

"We would need props, if that is the case…" Gabranth rejoined. "Where we could we possibly obtain hollow airship cavities within the little time we have?"

"There are some parts of the Estersand that are not rid of the airship junk left by the war eight years ago…" Ashe said. "We could salvage some of the scraps there to create makeshift airships and artillery."

"All of this must be carefully constructed," Emperor Larsa. "If we are to recreate a base camp, then we must do so in the evening, when the sun is low in the sky. By night fall, we should place false lightning and some soldiers to make it seem like a real base camp. We would attract Lord Leosandro's attention by doing so. We shall set the stage for a show."

"It will be a performance to remember!" Al-Cid clapped.

Larsa faced one of the Dalmascan men. "General, I would have you leave for Dalmasca, and make sure that all the preparations are to be done immediately. Bring your colleagues with you, and make haste for Rabanastre. You must prepare the real warships as well. As Dalmascan general, you will be in charge of the strategy of your battle stations, as I am in charge of mine. Archadia has full trust in you, sir."

"Sire," the general bowed. He then looked at the other generals. They nodded to each other and then left the room swiftly.

"What of the Archadian troops?" Judge Zargabaath asked.

"Yes, yes…" said the emperor, and they began to discuss the tactics Archadian forces were to use.

Emperor Larsa and the judge magisters, along with my brother discussed their war strategy against the Rozarrian force. Larsa would deploy the first, fifth, eighth and twelfth fleets, all in all about three hundred warships, ranging from the _air cutter remoras_, to the light cruisers such as the _Shiva_, and the heavy cruisers such as the _Alexander_. The magisters moved the figurines on the grid like a board game; each figurine represented a squadron of about thirty warships. After some time the judges had arranged it in a semi-circular position, then they changed it into an arrowhead arrangement. My mind started to wander, and I lost interest in war tactics.

I exited the war chambers silently, and remained in the entrance of the floor. My mind started to race, and I was anxious about many things. First of which, was the war. A man such as Leosandro, a brilliant and flawless lord, was able to challenge higher ranking officials and overthrow our own emperor. I knew nothing of my father, and I feared him dead. My mother and younger siblings were taken away, and were in captivity. And I…I was the only visible nuisance in this world. I was the focus of the conflict, I was what Leosandro and Larsa had wanted. But…why? Why must one man's greed involve others? Why must thousands die for me? I found myself to be nothing; I was nothing but a woman, a dreadful one, at that! If I had stayed here in Archades, then Leosandro's conditions would not be fulfilled, and a full-scale war would occur. But, if I were to escape to Rozarria, then I would sin against the emperor whom I loved; I would end all the hopes and dreams of both my nations.

And then, for a moment, I had thought of suicide. But taking one's life is not an act of courage. Taking one's life would not merit good, it would only merit evil, both on the doer and the people affected. And after such moment of thinking of throwing myself off the balcony on the eighty-second floor, I decided to abandon the idea. Killing myself would do no good, and I had wanted to be strong. I had wanted to be a lion, like Emperor Larsa. I was born a fighter, as my mother said. I would never give up on anything. As a child, I did not hesitate to quarrel with my other siblings over a doll, or a tea set, and my mother would scold me for a hot temper. She told me that I had to learn how to control my emotions, or else I would find myself in a very disagreeable position.

I swear to you, Leosandro Fergaza that I will fight for my nations until my last breath. I will not allow people to die for your greed.

* * *

><p>When I was a little girl, I imagined myself to have a beautiful marriage. My father would walk me down the aisle. I would wear a beautiful, long, white gown, and in my hands I would carry a fresh bouquet of rose. At the end of the aisle there would be my husband, the man of my dreams; he would be a beautiful and strong Rozarrian man. At the end of the wedding celebration, there would be a grand ball, and a fireworks display coming from far across the sea, and the bells would chime, and the children would dance on the streets, shouting 'rejoice'! But alas, my dreams of a perfect marriage had been washed away like footprints on the shore. My father would not walk me down the aisle, and I would not be in a spectacular gown. My husband would not be a perfect Rozarrian man, but a man nevertheless. My husband would be a fell and deep-natured Archadian emperor, one who I had learned to love out of respect for my duty to the Empire.<p>

As night came, we had celebrated the civil marriage, in front of a kiltia minister and Judge Magister Gabranth. There were few that attended the so called 'celebration': the magisters, my brother, Queen Ashelia and the Imperial Counsel. I dared not call the event a celebration, for there was nothing to celebrate, unless one would be mad and had wanted to celebrate the upcoming war. There were no flowers, no bridesmaids, and no doves. There was just Emperor Larsa and I. In truth, we did not even have the ceremonies in a cathedral, but in front of the courthouse. Was this a real marriage? I could not tell. Even if it seemed to be more of a political procedure rather than a religious rite, Larsa had recited the vows with such fervor, while I remained passive throughout the events. I would rather not state what had happened during that horrible hour, for I had chose to forget anything and everything about that particular affair. A sudden marriage decision was absolutely appalling, from the rites to the signing of the papers, and we had ended about half-past nine. This was a marriage that the world did not know of. There was a small eating at the palace right after, and a certain person whom I loved decided to lessen the number of dishes to be served, and rather used the funds of the feast for the restoration of broken warship parts. I was in absolute disbelief that I had been married to the emperor. I would now call him as my spouse, my husband, and I would now be called the "empress" of Archadia. But they gave me no crown, no scepter, no proper coronation. I was just a dummy of an empress of the time being. I had longed for the marriage of my dreams, and in my head I harshly criticized this so called "nuptial".

My life…I want it to be filled with happiness! But happiness is something that one cannot simply accede to; you must make your life happy. I was not at all pleased with my life right now; I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. War would be on my left, and love would be on my right. There were decisions that had to be made quick, and Emperor Larsa had decided that a civil marriage would be the last stand against Leosandro's prevailing force.

I had inherited the _Solidor_ name, yet I was not convinced I was one.

I had to give up being a child; I had to take upon myself the duties of a woman, an empress and as a wife. I remembered my duty to the Empire: I represented the last hope of peace between the empires of Archadia and Rozarria. I was to marry Emperor Larsa Solidor and put an end to the crisis. A crisis, eh? Because of my marriage to him, we have found ourselves in greater peril. Now I was married to the emperor, and I was his wife. And I would take up the burden of a spouse on the night before the battle. War was on the horizon. Emperor Larsa and I would make leave to Dalmasca at the first light of dawn, and this would possibly be the last night of our lives. So we had spent the night together, and we had made love until the embers faded away one by one. For some time, I had felt freer than ever, but as I woke up the next morning, still exhausted from one night's affairs, I saw airships in the sky, like a great flock of migratory birds, soaring westward towards the peninsula.


	24. Chapter 24

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys, what's up? Airbendergal here!_

_The war between Leosandro's Army and Archadia's army will be starting in a while._

_As the Dalmascan army faces the Rozarrian front, Archadia's forces head northwest towards the Roda Volcano. But will they be able to decieve Leosandro's army with this ingenious plot? As they reach Roda, they come to face another obstacle: the weather! _

_The final battle is upon us. _

_Take strength, dear reader, and carry on! Read and review this epic chapter! \m/_

_~Airbendergal_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 24:<strong>

There are many things I am afraid of, but above all it is losing someone I loved.

Emperor Larsa is the very man I was afraid of losing.

I was currently on the _Alexander_, in the emperor's chambers, looking out at the large hollow wings of the monstrous flying machine. The Alexander's wings were over five hundred feet long, and were designed to resemble a bird-wing's bone structure to obtain maximum efficiency in speed and agility. The _Alexander_ could travel up to two hundred knots, and had over thirty gun decks and fifteen hangars that housed over a thousand air cutter remoras. I watched as many imperial soldiers moved across the deck, making preparations for the coming war. There were soldiers gearing up in their iron-clad suits, and mechanics working on the smaller air cutters, making sure that every gear of the mechanism was in shape. I had imagined the place to be like a metal bee hive, and instead of buzzes, the workers emitted sharp _clicks _and _clacks_ as their metal armors clashed.

My heart sunk a bit when I realized many of these men would not return home to their families: to their wives and children. Many of the soldiers were probably even too young and too inexperienced to fight in a battle such as this. These men were bound to their duty to serve Archadia, as I was bound to my duty as a princess and an empress, and the wife of Emperor Larsa. And I had shed a tear after thinking well about husband, and myself, whether or not we would live to see another day. Emperor Larsa had told me to stay in Archades while he would lead his people to the war, but I had decidedly told him once in a dream that I would never leave his side, and I begged for his sympathy to bring me with him. As his wife, I had promised to support him in all his endeavors, may that be in war or peace. And I had vowed to love him, in sickness and in health, to death do us part. I simply could not be parted with Larsa; he had become a part of me, and I had become a part of him.

"Catalina, my love," a voice came ringing through the air.

I turned around and saw my husband. He was wearing his usual regalia, but had stripped away his crown and sash. At once my heart started to race. "Yes, my lord?" I asked him in a faint voice. I could see from his expression that things were not good.

"Come," he beckoned.

I stood up and walked to him. He placed his arm around me, and brought me to the viewing deck that stood high above the main cockpit of the airship. In front of us there was a large, semi-circular glass window that allowed us to see far across the sky. I saw a barren desert beneath us; we had reached the Dalmascan area in a couple of hours, and sooner we would be at the Sandsea. The sky was bright, and the heat of the sun penetrated through the panes. The temperature reminded me less of the cool Archadian climate, and more of Rozarria's environment.

"Over there, beyond the horizon," Larsa pointed. I followed his finger across the landscape, and my eyes came into sight of many black dots lined up in horizon, far behind the rocky outcrops, southwest of Dalmasca. "A hundred warships in the distance."

"Is that Leosandro's army?" I asked him, as I rested my head upon his breast. A certain zone of anxiety surrounded me like a tempest from the Naldoan sea. My stomach started to crawl, and a shiver ran down my spine. The airships resembled a swarm of locusts, hovering high above the clouds. My husband held me closely and told me not to worry. I looked up at him and asked. "Why are they not moving?"

"They lie in wait for further instructions," Emperor Larsa told me. "After our civil wedding, I had sent a courier to Rozarria to inform their officials of the political union. Your government still honors the alliance, therefore when they have received news of our marriage, Leosandro's forces were forced back and immobilized. They cannot progress without proper clearance; Leosandro is still bound to the laws of your country, and as an emperor."

"So this is one of your gambits?"

"I see our union as more of a gambit, I warrant you," Larsa smiled, as he kissed me on the forehead. Then, he looked down at the soldiers below us, and his eyes became serious and unnerving. "The Dalmascan generals are ready to deploy their fleets, and General Aablesk, the _Bangaa_, is sending his squadron to set up the false base camp, and they mean to do so when the sun is low in the sky. As of now, there is nothing to do but wait, while the information of this "camp" is spreading around Rabanastre. I am sure that some Rozarrian ears will pick the word from the street, and they'll be quick to tell to Leosandro."

"My love…" I started to say, as my eyes got wet. "What will happen to you?"

The emperor gazed into the distance, and his eyes narrowed. Larsa's face wrinkled, and he told me, "You should not fear for me, Catalina…" And his voice became faint. He had wanted to forget what had happened, and what was yet to come. "But I would want to take this moment…to thank you."

My eyes widened, and I wiped my eyes.

My husband's eyes met mine, and as they did a fresh feeling surround us like a beautiful summer morning. His voice was pure and innocent like an angel, yet at the same time is was sound as a wave that crashes against the shore. "I would want to thank you…for choosing me…" he said slowly and passionately. I could see the sincerity in his tone. "I would want to thank you for changing my life."

"Larsa…I…" I sincerely believed that I had not done anything.

"Before, my entire life was a blur…and I spent every day like a machine; my life revolved around an endless cycle of hardships. I had long forgotten how to be happy…and I felt as if I had no purpose in life." He took hold of my hands and held them close to his heart. "But you, Catalina—you have given me a reason to want to live again."

"My lord…" were the only words that could escape from my constricted breath.

I could feel his heartbeat. It went _thump, thump, thump_, a slow and steady pace. He appeared collected and calm, but could it be a façade? Was he frightened at the sight of the airships in the horizon? What was he going to say next?

"If anything happens to me, then—"

"Do not speak those words!" I snapped at him.

My husband was silenced as I yanked my hands away from him.

"Larsa, please, promise me that you will never speak those words again!"

"Forgive me, Catalina…"

The tension in the air was broken by a loud and hearty cackle from behind us.

I looked behind me and saw my brother, Al-Cid, exchange in a casual discourse with his maidservant and Queen Ashelia. At once my blood began to boil as Al-Cid jumped onto the metal platform where we were standing. His heavy footsteps clanged on the flooring. My brother opened his arms, leapt towards me and gave me a big squeeze. "Oh, Catalina! My dearest sister! Time and time has withered away, but you are still so fragrant!"

"Brother!" I cried, embarrassed. At once I withdrew my head out of his chest, and pushed his arms back with a swift force. Al-Cid groaned and sighed.

Oh Faram, my brother is so obnoxious!

"Ah, Emperor Larsa, it seems that we too are kith and kin!" Al-Cid exclaimed, as it was my husband's turn to be hugged. My brother placed his hands halfway around Larsa's back. "I do not usually extend my gestures to someone so…_unfeminine_ but this is really impressive! Imagine this: my younger sister, getting married before I have! Hah! We must rejoice! What say you, Larsa?"

"Yes, yes, we can rejoice later!" The emperor's face began to cripple. Larsa looked completely revolted at my brother's sign of affection. "Now, would you please _unhand_ me?"

Al-Cid just shrugged. He let go of Emperor Larsa, and immediately my husband had taken a large step back. Larsa fixed his sleeves, and brushed his shoulders, and I could hear him mutter a few lines to himself. "What is it you want, Al-Cid?"

"My little birds…they tell me that Leosandro's ears have picked up news of our little camp. In time he will be sending out some scouts. The queen and I are going to inspect this camp at the border, with your Excellency's consent, and if we are lucky then his scouts shall spot us. We shan't stay long, I assure you. We only need to make the impression that there are some very important people in the camp, to lure the opposing forces into our site."

"Very well, then," Larsa told Al-Cid. "You shall go to the border, and I shall lend you one of the air cutters. But, Al-Cid, bear in mind the enemies. We do not want them to harm you. Take caution, both of you. Gather up information about Leosandro's forces as well. At the vantage point of the Nam-Yensa, we would be able to see what kind of airships we are up against."

"Yes, my lord," Al-Cid bowed.

Queen Ashe joined the conversation. "I have also gotten news that General Aablesk has gotten in contact of our dearest sky pirate, Vaan and Penelo. They've hatched a plan, as I'm told."

"Knowing Vaan, he has no definite strategy," Larsa sighed. "But we shall see…"

Afternoon had passed, and I was beginning to worry. The Rozarrian forces were still at a stand-still. Every one of those airships was in the same, exact position as they were long before. They were immovable and solid as the jagged cliffs that housed the Tomb of Raithwall. Many of our men were beginning to wonder as well; they wondered why Emperor Larsa was not giving the signal to attack.

"This would be the perfect time to attack, when Leosandro's forces are immobilized!" Judge Zargabaath pointed out.

But my husband just shook his head and said firmly, "We shall wait."

Wait? Wait for what? The Archadian forces had a clear line of fire!

Al-Cid and Queen Ashe had returned soon after, bearing news that would affect the tides of battle. "They have spotted us!" Al-Cid cried. "The lookout has told us thus, that a single unregistered airship has entered the border-space. The Archadians tried to identify the ship, but it has no such records on the database. It's a Jylland ship."

"A Jylland airship?" Larsa asked. "Blast. Now we cannot tell between friend and foe."

"We could be shooting at an ally's ship without even knowing it…" Ashe muttered.

"Then, we take our chances!" Al-Cid clapped.

Judge Gabranth and Judge Zargabaath came forth.

"Your Excellency, we should make leave for the northeastern front," Judge Zargabaath said to Emperor Larsa. "We shall take a long detour to the strip of airspace in between the jagd near Nabradia, and come around to the northeastern mountain range of Rozarria. The Dalmascan fleets should be able to sustain battle here, and the Archadian forces are awaiting your orders at the mentioned site as we speak…"

"Full speed, Judge Zargabaath," Larsa nodded. "Let the gods guide these people to victory."

The sun was blood red at dusk, and had foreshadowed the events that were to come.

As night came, we found ourselves flying high above the mountain ranges of northeastern Rozarria. These mountain ranges were called '_Titanica_', named after the great and mysterious beast _Titan_ that roamed around the area. The Titanica Range was harsh and arid, much like the Paramina Rift. But the Titanica Range bordered the inhospitable Roda Volcano; it was an area of extremes, of ice and fire.

As the darkness progressed, the air around us became chilly, and in the distance a shroud of thick clouds gathered. At the sign of thick clouds, the judge magisters became weary. I had asked Judge Gabranth what there was to fear, and he replied that clouds, such as the ones we had seen, were storm clouds. "Storm clouds would inevitably affect the battle. It will render our warships lesser visibility, thus our fighters will not function normally," Gabranth explained. "But we must continue to push on."

"The thunderheads move towards our direction," Zargabaath said. "I suggest we divert our route before dawn, and we move southwest in the direction of Ambervale. What say you, sire?"

"Hmm…" Emperor Larsa thought for a while. "What do the weather predictions suggest?"

"The clouds move south, towards the direction of Rozarria," Zargabaath replied.

"We shall continue westwards then," Larsa said. "We shall pass through the deluge."

"Sire," both of the judges bowed.

The magisters had started to walk away, but my husband called out Gabranth's name. The younger judge came near him, but Larsa bent closer and asked him to take off his helmet. As the metal man removed his helmet, I saw Gabranth's true features: one of a masculine, middle-aged man. My husband whispered something in his ear, and glanced at me, before whispering once again. Gabranth just nodded and put back his helmet.

"I will resume my duties, then, my liege," Gabranth bowed.

Deep in my heart, I knew Larsa was keeping something hidden from me.

So the fleets continued on, into the thick veil of clouds. Once the _Alexander_ had been engulfed by the billows, it had opened its bulkhead lights, and it lit up like a beacon guiding a ship to shore. We remained in the view deck high above the cockpit, observing the thick brush of clouds that zoomed by. All we could see were shades of black, spinning past us, like a tempest of phantoms. The cloud field around us was a thick gray, and the bulkhead lights of the _Alexander_ found it hard to penetrate through the thick blanket.

"Speed, helmsman!" Larsa ordered from above. "We must exit the cloud as quickly as possible."

"Yes, my liege!" the helmsman replied, as he echoed the order to the other members of the crew. "You heard him, men, speed!"

But it was quite hard to obtain speed when the wind was against us.

"Open the tertiary and opposable sails!" called the helmsman from below. "I want to see those arms drop! Tell the men in the keel catwalk to plug in the skystones! I want this ship to move quicker than the _Ifrit_! Move, you fools! Move!"

At once the soldiers below us scrambled across the deck, running and shouting.

"The sails! The sails!" They echoed like a broken recorder.

"We have to lead the other ships out of the clouds," Larsa said. "We could be susceptible to an attack from the sides..."

Just then, there was a solid silvery beam of light that lit up the cloud mass. Silver streaks zoomed past the sides of the airship! _Zeep! Zeep!_ The beams emitted a sound like a closing zipper. _Zeep! Zeep!_ And then, a thunderous bellow from the starboard side! The _Alexander _rocked, as a flash of fire erupted in front of the glass. Everyone was swept off their feet, and knocked back into the railings of the platform.

"Ambush!" I could hear screams from below. "AMBUSH!"


	25. Chapter 25

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys! Airbendergal here!_

_Im awfully sorry it took so long to update. School has started already, and it's getting really busy. It's kind of difficult for me to find time to update, but don't be discouraged! I will write the chapters, and put effort into doing so._

_Anyway, here's the latest chapter. It's not the last, don't worry. The battle is still on going..._

_Who will triumph? Read on to find out!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 25:<strong>

"AMBUSH!"

We had walked right into a trap.

Emperor Larsa quickly got to this feet, and clung onto the metal railings of the airship. The _Alexander_ swayed slowly, like a kite in a cool summer breeze. Its stabilizers were kicking in, and the roar of the engines had told everyone that the airship devices were having a hard time. The machinists flooded into the cockpit, bringing with them kits filled with tools that would aid the struggling machine.

"How much further?" Larsa called below.

"Visibility's at sixty-four percent, and counting, sire!" called the coxswain. "A few more kilometers!"

"Why didn't the radar detect them?" Ashe asked.

"The interruption of the clouds must have rendered us blind!" Al-Cid called from behind, and he was obliged to shout for there was a terrible humming noise that overwhelmed his voice. "We will not be able to pick up signals within a thick brush!"

"They knew we were coming! Blast!" Larsa yelled, as he struggled to get off the platform. His garments fluttered and snapped dynamically in the wind. "Judge Zargabaath! Perform the necessary procedures!"

The _Alexander_ was losing altitude, and losing it quick.

The emperor reached out his hand so that I could take hold of it. "Catalina, come!" he cried, as he extended his reach a little bit further. Larsa was supporting himself on the railing while reaching out to me. "Take my hand! We must get out of the unstable platform."

I moved, step by slow step, across the platform, and tried to grab hold of my husband's hand. But, as I was an inch's distance away from his grasp, a clamorous _BOOM_ shook the heavens, like a drum-roll of thunder. A blinding light erupted in front of the view window, and I reflexively shielded my eyes. The metal flooring beneath us swayed like a raft on the waves. I stumbled, and fell back, but Larsa grabbed my forearm, and leapt towards the solid ground.

"Are you alright?" he panted.

I nodded my head, and looked towards the view window. I could already see the clear night sky fading into view, and some shooting stars. Wait. Shooting stars? Those were not heavenly bodies, but a hail of canonballs! Far across the distance, a line of heavy-cruiser battleships launched a swarm of silver locusts. They zipped across the sky!

"Return Fire!" Larsa cried. "Judge Zargabaath, the main cannons!"

"Prepare the first volley!" echoed the judge magister.

At once the _Alexander_ started to tremble. The humming noises were getting louder. _Grmmm_…the rumble of the engines…_grmmm_….and then two large cannons began to protrude from the sides of the window. These were the _Alexanders_' biggest T-620 carronades and stretched about 50 meters long. They were the arms of hell. Electricity surged across the room, sending static flickers across the walls and floors, and the sound of an impending explosion traversed through the cockpit.

_Grrrr…grrr…grrmmmm…._

_BOOM_!

The T-620 carronades shot large projectiles through air at an impossibly fast speed. The recoil of the blast caused the airship to jerk, and that powerful jolt sent everyone to their knees. I screamed a bit, but the fusillade of deafening roars had engulfed my shrieks.

My husband looked at me and yelled. "Get back into the safety room, Catalina!"

"Never! I will not leave you!" I yelled back.

"Do as I say!" The emperor flailed his arms, expressing a sudden outburst of rage.

Someone grabbed my wrist. I looked back and saw it was my brother, Al-Cid. He tugged me lightly, but after I hesitated to respond, he forcefully pulled me back. I fumbled back, and my torso curled as I twisted in the other direction. The doors behind us opened automatically, and my brother took advantage of it.

"Catalina, come!" Al-Cid cried.

I tried to resist, but it only made my brother more annoyed. With a forceful tug, my brother managed to pull me through the automatic doors as they slowly rejoined. Behind the ever-slimming crack in between the two doors, I could see Emperor Larsa. He was pointing and shouting commands at the people below. The gap in the door grew thinner and thinner, and when we had traveled half of the gangway, the entry to the cockpit had sealed.

The ground beneath us began to shake. The metal body we were in shivered and shook. Steam hissed through the pipes, and the sound of loose gears and bolts bounced off the walls and floors. The ceiling was low and decorated with electric conduits. Thick wires ran across the floor beneath us, and the sometimes you could hear the sound of static surging through the _Alexander_'s veins.

"We're being battered by bombshells!" Ashe exclaimed.

"I hope Larsa knows what he's doing!" Al-Cid leapt forward into another passageway.

"_zzt…zzt…Pandaemonium, get into position_!" Judge Zargabaath's voice was distorted through the intercom. "_Ifrit, forward, and open fire_…_zzt…front guard! Prepare the volleys..zzt._"

We had reached the main deck of the Alexander. Soldiers, hoplites, gunners and mages ran across the deck, like little silver bugs, shouting and passing commands. Most of them made their way to the gun decks, while others were busy at the machines. We passed through the busy sea of imperials, and surprisingly it seemed that anyone had barely noticed us.

"Seven light cruisers, east, north east!" someone shouted from my left.

"A line of Rozarrian heavy cruisers, coming from the front!" another one yelled.

"Get out the secondary carronades! The mortars! Go! Go! Go!"

"Prepare the third volley!"

The Alexander turned on its side and faced the Rozarrian lines of fire. Cannonballs shot through the sky and created streaks among the stars, as if Faram himself painted monochrome stripes across the heavens. The black of night turned into brightness, as fire flowers bloomed all around us. The sound of explosions and gunfire played with our hearing, and I was forced to shield my ears and run down another gangway that lead to the safety room. The war had created a garden of doom.

"Fire!" cried a judge.

The carronades blasted a hailstorm of projectiles in the direction of the Rozarrian ships.

In the distance, a Rozarrian light cruiser burst into flames, and spiraled downward into the abyss.

"_All remora…zzt…Dispatching squadron…zzt...24-C air cutters..zzt_!"

I peered outside a porthole, and saw the air cutter remoras take to the sky like a swarm of locusts. The skies around the combat zone looked was a star field. Lasers and cannons came from every direction, shimmering and lighting up the night like heavenly bodies. Starbursts appeared every now and then, and for every starburst I knew a life had been taken…taken because of me.

"_zzt…keep your formations tight! And..zzzt..!"_

The hour passed, and I was beginning to fear that Archadia's forces were losing. Many airships, be that of friend or foe, were sunk and swallowed by the darkness below us. Al-Cid, Ashe, Anhella and I remained inside the safety room, where we watched as each cruiser was engulfed in flames. At the sight of more casualties I began to cry, and for once my brother did nothing to comfort me.

"I must help Larsa," he told me, ignorant of my feelings. "Leosandro has ruined our empire. Stay here, Catalina. All you women must be kept safe. My leave I take."

"Brother, no!" I cried.

"Catalina, we have to accept the truth!" Al-Cid exclaimed.

"What truth?" I hissed.

"That father could be _dead_!"

"Do not say that, Al-Cid! He is alive and well!"

"Well, what if you are wrong? Leosandro—I saw him torture father with my own eyes! He has been exiled. For all we know, Edelmiro could be rotting away in a cave!"

"Your ill-thinking has gotten the better of you, brother!"

"Hah, you eat your own words, Catalina!"

"Stop it, both of you!" a voice cut in.

My brother and I both stopped bickering, and our heads turned to the queen. Ashelia was already quite infuriated at the noise both of us were making. She raised a finger and said, "Arguing won't do anything to help. I want to help Emperor Larsa as much as you do. We must find a way to do so, and the best way is to stay put. If we go against his orders, we'd only be adding to the chaos."

My brother sighed, and put a hand to his forehead. "Heh, the queen's words are right…"

I could not bear to stay still, even for a second, for I was absolutely anxious about Emperor Larsa. He had promised me that he would never leave my side, and I would never leave his. As a woman, I was bound to my duty, and even more than my duty, I was bound to my promise and love for him. I could hear muffled thunder in the distance; the battle around us was hard-fought.

Just then, someone entered the room. It was a Dalmascan messenger.

"Your Highness, a message from General Aablesk!" he cried, as he bowed. At once he unfurled his parchment and read out loud. "_Queen Ashelia! The Rozarrian front guard has fallen for the imitation camp. They have bombarded the fake squadron base, and we have returned fire. The Rozarrians bring about their heavy cruisers, and we believe that they have brought in Jylland ships as well. Take caution, my lady, for Jylland could be dragged into this situation_."

"Has there been any major casualties?" asked the queen.

The messenger never expected to be asked any questions from the queen herself. Being a lowly messenger, his only job was to deliver the parchment. But he had broken the scope of his duties and answered Queen Ashelia's questions. "I am informed that a few of our Dalmascan light cruisers have been sunk, my lady. As I've seen it, we have seemed to be outnumbered three to one."

"You are very brave to have come here, sir," Ashe commented. "What is your name?"

"Smitt, your Highness."

"Sir Smitt, go and return to the Nam-Yensa, and inform the generals about this ambush. You must fly, fly away, and tell them to deploy a few of our ships here for back-up," Queen Ashelia ordered. "Do not make your way through the thick cloud mass, tell them, and that the Rozarrians have built a rearguard on the Roda border."

"At once, my lady," bowed Smitt.

"_Zzt…Ifrit leaders, keep your squadrons tight…zzt!"_ Judge Zargabaath rang.

"_Zzt…this is Ifrit leader!"_ another voice joined in the static. "_A Rozarrian Destroyer is in pursuit, 50 miles west, south west…zzt!"_

There were loud booms that came from outside and rattled the airship. From the porthole, I could see the front line was now veiled in smoke. The explosions and gunpowder had created a dismal haze around the field, rendering minor visibility to the close-combat airships. The air cutter remoras zoomed past us in every direction, firing lines of ammunition at the opposing forces. I pressed my face against the glass to see a better view of the fighting outside. In the distance I could discern a large and formidable airship. Its visage was filled with grandeur: it was a Class A heavy cruiser with massive sails, and a hull decorated with the insignia of the Rozarrian Empire.

It was the _Kirin_, Rozarria's mothership. It was the Royal Warship.

"Leosandro is coming," I said, looking towards my brother. "And he comes towards us."


	26. Chapter 26

_Author's Note:_

_Hey Guys! Airbendergal here again!_

_The war is at its peak, but, oh, what's this? Larsa is able to convince Leosandro for a respite._

_Now the Lion must face the Serpent, alone. Hmmm...I wonder what Catalina's going to say about this._

_Keep reading guys! Our journey is coming to a close._

_What do you think will happen in the end? Tell me in your reviews!_

_Can't wait to hear from you! 3_

_~Airbendergal_

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><p><strong>Chapter 26:<strong>

The Kirin soared across the sky like a mighty eagle. Its mighty sails and hull boasted its war-tested history. The Kirin seemed to remain untouched, even after many years of war. Many of the smaller Rozarrian airships had given it passage, and scrambled into another formation as a large cloud mass drifted in from the east. The starfield slowly died away as the battlezone was blanketed in a thick veil of haze. The enemies were again rendered undetectable, and an eerie silence dripped into the battlefield.

"zzt…_Stand your guard…zzt…"_ I could hear Emperor Larsa's voice through the static.

"These clouds are our biggest foes…" my brother murmured, as the Alexander was engulfed by a mist. Slowly Al-Cid unlocked the latches on the porthole and slightly pushed the aperture open. The smell of smoke entered the room and irritated our noses.

"_zzt…zzt…_" The sound of surging volts was like a metronome.

The enemy had stopped firing. But why? Had Faram stripped the fabrics of time?

"_zzt..zzzt…Emperor Larsa, a message from the Kirin…zzt…_" An imperial voiced through the intercom.

There was a brief silence.

"_zzt…Take it…zzt…_" ordered the emperor.

After a long hiss of static, a familiar voice faded into the radio wave. "_zzzttt….It seems we meet again…zzt…Emperor Larsa…zztt…"_

At the sound of the voice my heart contracted. "Leosandro."

"Leosandro!" My brother repeated in a heated tone.

The trail of static continued. "_zzt…It seems you have gotten…zzt…help from Dalmasca…zzt….Do you believe…that is fair…zzzt?_"

For a moment there was no response from my husband.

"_zzt…I would ask the same of you…zzzt…"_ Emperor Larsa replied. "_you speak ill of such treachery, when you…zzt…are a traitor to your own nation…zzt…"_

The sound of hissing elevated and overflowed through the squall. "_zzt…The reason I do this is for the woman I love…zzt…the woman you have taken away from me! I..zzztt…She was the only reason I live! Catalina! I…zzt.."_

The cloud interference made it hard to understand the latter part of his speech, but in my mind a sudden spark of pity ignited in me. My brother had assured me once before that he only spoke words of love in exchange for the burden of rule. Leosandro would only use me to get to the throne! But the words he spoke moments ago were like the first words he had spoke to me when we first met. The way he spoke those words seemed so passionate and sincere, but in reality they were painted with poison.

My lord spoke up._"zzt…That is no reason to involve others…zzt_…_Let us end this, Leosandro_…_I implore_ _you, stop this war..zzt…these innocent men should not die for us._.._Many of our men are dead…zzt…_"

The other party did not reply for a while, implicating that Leosandro was still considering the option Larsa had given him. After a few moments, he voiced through the wave. "_zzt…a respite, then…"_

"_..zzt…if you honor the rules of engagement, then a respite for three hours,"_ Emperor Larsa explained. "_zzt…during that window we shall engage in parley…zzt…and discuss the further terms of this war…zzt…"_

"_…zzt…."_ There was a dramatic pause. "_zzt…very well…All Rozarrian units hold fire…zzt…"_

The weight of my heart diminished a bit. I looked towards my brother, and found him a relieved state. He crossed the room to sit on a sorry-looking sofa, and leaned forward, pressing his elbows on his knees. Al-Cid exhaled deeply and slowly, showing signs of contentment. I, on the other hand, wiped my tears off my colored cheeks, and leaned against a cold metal wall as my brother gave me a sighing laugh.

The battle was over…for now.

The emperor entered the room a few minutes later, and he carried a ghastly look that made even my brother shiver. He seemed overworked, to the point he was shiny because of the sweat-beads that trailed down the sides of his face.

"Larsa, my lord!" I cried, as I ran to him. I opened my arms and wrapped them around his torso. A certain gray aura surrounded him like a rainy day on Giza Plain. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

My husband stroked my back affectionately. "I am well. I am glad you are alright, Catalina."

I let go of my lord. Al-Cid stood up and let the emperor take his spot on the sofa. Larsa sat down, leaned back into a dismal position and sighed. He clamped the middle of his dark plum vest and started patting it against his chest vigorously, letting a breeze pass through his undershirts. "It is unmistakably hot…"

Ashe looked out of the porthole and exclaimed. "The heavens are silent…"

The world around us transitioned into an angelic calm. The clouds began to scatter, and the real stars came into view. All the airships came to a standstill; both parties had stopped playing the game. A respite for three hours was honored, for the people who have suffered the greatest of deaths—a thousand deaths for one man's greed.

I firmly suggested that my husband take off his vest. He had declined my suggestion at first, but later realized he found it hard to breath. So after a few moments, I helped Emperor Larsa strip off his vest. Under his vest, he wore an aged undershirt. It was dirty-looking, ginger-colored and somewhat wet. These qualities did not bother me, but as I touched his left shoulder, Larsa jolted forward, swatted his back and cursed under his breath.

"What is the matter?" I asked him, confused.

"It is nothing…" he said. It was quite obvious he was lying. "Err-Unhand me…"

I touched his left shoulder once more, and he got even angrier. I ordered him to sit still, and I looked closer at his undershirt. There were some red stains on the back of his tunic. "Larsa, you are injured!"

"It will not affect me," he said, straight-faced.

"I shall call the white mages!" I exclaimed in a hurried tone.

"There is no time. I have to leave for the parley," Emperor Larsa said, as he struggled to get up.

"I shall cure him," Ashe snapped, as she whirled around to face him. At once she placed her hand over his shoulder, and muttered the spell. "_Cure_!" A magnificent white starburst lit up the room. Slowly, the red splotches on Larsa's back shrunk, until they were but red specks on his undershirt.

"Thank you," Larsa smiled, as he touched his back. "I am feeling much better now."

"Where will the parley take place?" I asked my partner.

"Aboard the Jylland ship, the _Quetzalcoatl_."

"Then, please, take me with you."

Emperor Larsa's eyes grew wide. At an instant his shook his head, and gave me a frown. "No. I will not permit you to join me," he stated. "You are to stay aboard the _Alexander_ at all times. Do you understand me, Catalina?"

"No, I do not," I replied curtly. "Larsa, please, I can help you!"

"Catalina, you must not get hurt. I am doing this in order to protect you. If you stay here on the airship, then you will be kept from harm. I must face Leosandro alone. It is the best chance of making a truce," Larsa explained in a calm and assuring tone. I was not going to fall for his charmed words.

"I do not want any more of these people to die for me!" I yelled.

My husband was silenced. He placed his hand up in the air, and I swore he was going to slap me, but he did not intend to hurt me at all. He raised his arm, and snatched my wrist. He forcefully wringed it; I could feel his hands trembling. "I shall repeat myself for but one more time. Catalina, I order you _never_ to leave the _Alexander_, under any conditions. If you disobey me, then I will be forced to place you under house arrest if we return back to Archades. Goodbye, Catalina."

The emperor stormed out of the room, and I attempted to run after him, but the entrance of the room had been sealed tightly. I clawed at the opening of the doors, screaming out my husband's name. "Larsa! Larsa, please! Larsa!" I screeched. I banged the door, and even tried to ram it with my own body. "Larsa! Larsa! Larsa! You promised you would never leave me! You promised that no one would ever get in between us! Larsa!"

At once I felt hot tears worming down my cheeks. I struggled harder and harder. I did not care if I would die trying! Everyone was going to die. And I would suffer a fate even worse than death: Leosandro would take me back to Rozarria, and I would have to be with him for the rest of my life. I would not be a wife to him, but an object of his whimsical desires, and an instrument to reach the throne! My brother tried to stop me. He lunged at me and grabbed my waist, and pulled me back. I kicked and scratched him like a wild animal, but he was far too much stronger than I was. He shouted and yelled, begging me to stop, but I would not. I will never give up. I will never let all these men die for me! I felt a series of deep pangs down my chest, then a sudden surge of adrenaline.

"LARSA!" I screamed to the top of my voice.

My brother groaned, and shouted. "Queen Ashe, I beg you…cast _Sleep _on her!"

"Very well…" were the last words I heard before the world around me spun into a black mess.


	27. Chapter 27

_Author's Note:_

_Hey Guys! Airbendergal here, again._

_Sorry it took so long to upload this chapter. I have barely any time to update now a days. Luckily, I am still updating._

_Junior year is hell, definitely. Today we had 6 quizzes. Who on earth has six quizzes?_

_Heh, enough of my rambling for now._

_Hope you will enjoy this chapter! _

_Take note that this is a **FLASHBACK.** It takes place the day before Catalina goes to Archadia._

_Hmm...now we shall see why Leosandro is so driven._

_Keep on reading, and reviewing!_

_~Airbendergal_

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><p><strong>Chapter 27:<strong>

The golden sun drew closer to the horizon, and the city of Ambervale remained high atop the seaside cliffs of Rozarria. The city was built on the mouth of Ambervale bay, overlooking the vast Eastern Sea which leads to the continent of Jylland. The sun was unusually large, and later grew to be a reddish hue, and long shadows were casted upon the beautiful abodes of rich Rozarrian men and women. Children were beginning to venture back home from the beach, for the froth and foam had greatened, and the sea became rough.

From my balcony, I looked at the red speck in the sky, wishing how it would not touch the sea. I wished the moon would not come quick; I did not want to forget my last night in Rozarria. If only there was a way to stop the world from spinning, and Leosandro and I would be stuck in a beautiful dream! If only I could escape my fate, and escape a marriage to a man whom I did not even love…

I loved Leosandro, this was true. He was my life. Without him I had no purpose; he was the only reason I lived. And from the first time we had met, I knew he was my destiny. He was the most perfect man on the planet. Faram had blessed him with so many gifts: perfect looks, perfect memory, and many other perfect attributes that had caught my eye. Oh, how I would shed a tear at the thought of my perfect love, Leosandro! But, as I thought less of my love in the moments that came, I thought more of the life I was going to live in Archadia. I would miss my family very dearly, and I could not bear to leave my love behind! How was I ever going to tell Leosandro about my departure? How would he react? What would he say?

"Catalina, my shining star!" A voice rings through the dusky air. This voice is clear as choir bells in the night. I turn around and, find myself nose to nose with my love, Leosandro. He held a bouquet of fresh Rozarrian roses.

Rozarria had gotten its name from the beautiful roses that bloomed widely across different parts of the country.

"Leosandro!" My excited tone was a bit faked. My heart started to pump vigorously, for two reasons. One of them was because of exhilaration to see him once again. The other was fear of telling him the truth. "What are you doing here this time of day? The war generals are not looking for you?"

"Oh, not at all, my precious!" He said as he pecked me on the lips. "I have told those damned war fools that I would take the rest of the afternoon off. Their opinions do not matter; I choose to leave whenever I want. These men cannot stop me!"

I smelled the fragrant roses, and a deep pang of guilt shot down my chest. Leosandro had done so many things for me, and sooner I would repay him by leaving to marry another man. I had wanted Lord Leosandro to be my husband, and I would choose no other. My father had insisted to think of suitors who would be able to prove their worth. Leosandro had been one of very many, all of which had been fighting to gain the hand in marriage of the royal family's eldest daughter. It was a very appealing position: to be in association with Catalina Margrace. I was lucky to have met Leosandro, and declined any other meet-ups with other suitors. I could pick men like I pick flowers. My dearest Leosandro was the most beautiful of them all.

"These roses, you like them, yes?" he asked me, as he held my shoulders and gently swayed them. His voice became soft and mellow. "They are the best of its kind, and the most sweet-scented. I think that it is passionate red…a fitting color for the love I share with you, Catalina."

"Leosandro, please stop saying such sweet words!" I colored, and giggled.

"But it is true…" he whispered into my ear. I could feel his breath across the side of face. He slid his hands down my arms from behind, and caught my wrists like cuffs. An ambient, warm Rozarrian breeze danced through the space between us, and a distant echo of seagulls rolled through the sun-kissed heavens. "The most beautiful flowers for the most beautiful woman on the planet."

"Your father, Lord Ambrosio—will he not be angered of your absence?" I asked him, as I wiggled out of his embrace. I turned around and faced him. Reddish tones were painted across one side of his strong face. Leosandro's facial expression was a bit heated.

"I am quite sure that father knows of my coming here," Leosandro said, as he took my hands. "Come, come, now Catalina! We shall sit upon the rocks and watch the sun meet the sea. We must hurry, for the moon is in pursuit of her partner. She is not so far away now…"

I hurried along with my lover to the rocks not so far from the palace. It was a short climb down to the breakwater, and the tide rose higher and higher with every passing wave. The sun became a bloody red, even redder than the forty nights ago, when I had traveled across the Rozarrian gulf. Leosandro reached out his hand, and guided me to the rocks. Salty spray rained upon us, and I struggled to hold my skirt down from the strong sea breezes. After a few moments we had sat upon the rocks, and watched as the sun dipped into the sea.

"Catalina, you know my family," Leosandro began to say, as he dipped his feet into the water. "You know the Fergazas, yes?"

"Definitely!" I replied. "You are one of the most prominent families in Rozarria as of today. Your father is the head of the 4th Rozarrian Armada, is he not? And you brothers are outstanding men in the government. And you, Leosandro, are the greatest man on Ivalice!"

Leosandro clapped. "You know your history well! But…" He wrapped his arms around his legs, and sat like a commoner. "There is something that you should know, about us."

"Pray tell," I laughed. I expected his answer to be humorous, but it ceased to make me laugh.

"The Fergazas… we have been working as Rozarria's peacekeepers and heads for generations. We are the arbiters of peace in our society. Catalina, I promise you that even my great grandfather had the same title as I have today. The Fergaza clan has been working hard for decades," he started to explain. It made me feel like a little girl listening to tutor's lecture. "Catalina, when we get married, we can _change_ things. We will be able to help many people, you and me!"

"What are you trying to tell me, Leosandro?" I was a bit unnerved.

He looked at me, shook his head and gave out a laughing sigh.

A crashing wave birthed a thick sea spray, and the strong sea breezes grew even stronger. The air started to get cold and wispy, and a dark blue hue slowly swept across the half-sky. The stunning Rozarrian sunset was at its epitome of beauty. I turned my head and looked back at the city of Ambervale, and experienced the thrill of seeing homes light up one by one. The sunlight faded away slowly, and my Leosandro crouched beside me, placing his right arm over my left shoulder.

"Catalina, it is getting cold. We must head inside now…" he said in a caring voice. He drew a cloak from inside his satchel and draped it over my back. I felt the velvety cloth's warmth, and smiled at Leosandro's gentlemanly deed. "I wish you wouldn't catch a cold. Ai-Ai-Ai, a delicate flower such as yourself should be taken care of."

"But a delicate thing such as I needs to see the world, do you not agree? If you keep a flower in a glass, then it cannot do anything but appear beautiful for one to see," I replied, raising my head. "You men always want to use women for your contentment. I think that I should be free to see the world—be strong and independent—I want to be a woman who is different."

"Hah, you speak much of fantasy, Catalina. In your heart, you know where you must go…You belong with me. I am the only man who is worthy of you." Leosandro looked back at the horizon. Only a line of orange could be seen in the distance. The stars had faded into view. Leosandro raised his figure, and asked me to look up. "Look at that star. It is the brightest, and always the first to appear. That star is you, Catalina. I would like to think of women as stars: there are millions of them in the sky, but only one of them outshines the rest."

I followed his instructions and looked to the star field above me. There were faint glitters in around the sky, but the most prominent glimmer came from the constant North Star, _Polaris_, which my Leosandro had unofficially named after me. All of his words were so sweet and passionate. I would want my love for him to be as constant as a star which bore my name. I wish that I would stay loyal to him forever, as the stars stayed loyal to the night.

"Tell me more about what you had said earlier," I told him, as we walked back into the palace grounds. Some gardeners were attending to last minute trimming of the hedges, to keep them in perfect form. "I am eager about what you say. Tell me, Leosandro…"

"I simply said that if we were to be married, everything would change, and many would benefit from this," Leosandro just raised his shoulders and shrugged. An unpleasant twitch came upon his face as he shuddered. "Clan Fergaza would be very pleased with this milestone."

"You mean to say this marriage will benefit your position, Lord Leosandro?"

"I do not have any personal insights about position, Catalina. All I know is that I love you."

"But…what will happen if some circumstance would break us apart?" I wanted to see how my lover would react if I were to leave him. "What would you do, if someone took me away, then? What then, Leosandro."

"Don't speak that way, Catalina. It is impossible for someone to break a bond such as ours."

"But, what if? We will still live on for many years. Anything is possible. A woman like me is in such a dangerous position. There are many suitors from different lands who come all the way to Rozarria for a chance to catch my eye. None of them are capable; only you have the ability to do so. What if one day someone would take me away? What if I would disappear, Leosandro?"

The brilliant Rozarrian lord laughed haughtily. "You, and your foolish imagination! Hah! If you were to be taken away, I swear that all of Ivalice would go down in flames. I would send all the troops of Rozarria to find you, to burn down every single household in the world, turn every rock upside down, just so that you can return to my arms. Catalina, you are the most precious thing I have right now. I will not allow myself to lose you, especially since we have gotten this far."

"Almost two years, we've been together…" I sighed. "It would be such a shame to leave a man like you."

Leosandro walked me to my bedchambers that evening. He carried the candelabra with one hand, and offered to hold the cloak with another. The flames danced like gypsies, in the darkness of the night. The lord's features were darkened and surreal, like a charcoal drawing, and for a moment I had mistaken him for a shadow. As I slowly opened the door he had withdrew the cloak and hung it on his forearm.

"Catalina…" he said slowly.

I turned around, and peered right into his eyes.

"Yes?"

"I hope that you will never leave me…"

"So do I…" I said in a trembling voice. I would leave for Archadia at the first light of dawn.

As I turned about to enter the room, Leosandro blew out the flames, and the darkness had engulfed me. I wanted to reach out and hold him to feel safe, but as I attempted to do so, I took hold of the emptiness of space. Leosandro was gone like the fires in the night.


	28. Chapter 28

_Author's Note:_

_Hey Guys! Airbendergal here!_

_Sorry again for the late update!  
>I've been on hiatus for some time now because of my busy work schedules in school.<em>

_Oh, school, why are you so tiring? Anyway, get ready for some action!_

_This chapter's pretty long, but it'll be worth it, I promise._

_I have decided to make 30 chapters for this story (including Epilogue) , so two more to go!_

_Thank you so much to everyone who has been accompanying Catalina and Larsa on this journey. You guys are the best! 3_

_~Airbendergal_

* * *

><p><strong>C<strong>**hapter 28:**

The next thing I knew, I found myself face flat on an uncomfortable (not to mention dusty) sofa. At once I jumped out of the rest like a frightened cat, and whirled around to see where I was. Al-Cid had ordered that I be put to sleep! Such insolence…if he only treated me as well as he treated all his women, I would have been the happiest person in the world! But my brother was my brother, and he was flamboyant and eccentric, and that narcissitic ego of his increased tenfold when he was around me.

The room I was in was empty, and nothing else seemed to be contained in it except for a little stool on a crate on the left side of the room. Where was everybody? I thought about it for a while, as a feeling of concern blew through my mind. But then, a sudden surge of adrenaline pumped through my veins. I had realized that no one was with me, and no one was guarding me. I could escape!

I tiptoed to the door, and peeked outside. In both directions there were no people, only a solitary figure in the distant bulkhead. I ran in the opposite direction of the silhouette, by shoes clack-clack-clacking against the metal floorboards. I had heard another's footsteps echoed through the hollow halls, a sound of chains and clinks. At the chains I ran faster, almost supernaturally fast, passed the stretched gangways and corners.

"Your Excellency, wait!" It was a muffled voice. "I beg you, heed my words."

For some reason I had halted, and my eyes turned to a metal man. It was Judge Zargabaath, terribly exhausted from the fires of war. Some parts of his armor were charred, and he sounded breathless. I felt pity for him, and said. "What is it you seek, Judge Zargabaath?"

"Emperor Larsa has ordered me to guard you…" Judge Zargabaath said in a strict tone.

I looked down at the ground and my eyes reddened. I would fall to my knees just to ask him for some consideration. "Please, Judge Zargabaath, I need to follow Emperor Larsa. He needs me."

"Is that so? Or, is it perhaps, the other way round?"

"It is not a matter of who needs who, but it is a matter of who defeats who, your honor," I replied curtly. "I know Leosandro far better than anyone has, you must understand. Leosandro will not let a simple thing as a respite just slip from his grasp. He takes, no, _seizes_ every moment that is needed. It is in the best intention that I say that Larsa cannot defeat him alone, if that is what he is planning to do!"

The judge did not respond. He gave me passage to speak.

"I believe that my lord is walking into a trap!" I exclaimed. "He has no intentions of peace!"

A static surge rolled through the walls, sending little streaks of white across the brazen tubes. The judge crossed his arms, and made a low mumbling sound. My teeth chattered at his decision.

"T'was my instruction to guard you," the judge came to a verdict. "And guard you I shall."

At first, I had interpreted that he meant to keep me inside the room, but instead he pulled out a metal card, and murmured. "Now, follow me. We must be quick. To the hangars."

My eyes lit up with delight. Judge Zargabaath was to deliver me to Larsa!

We walked briskly, passing a group of imperials. Their heads turned as we passed. I bent low and near the judge, and whispered. "Thank you very much. This means so much to me. I must help my husband."

"Sometimes we must do wrong to do right," Zargabaath replied, as he lowered his head. "As a Judge Magister, I am to guard the emperor with all of my life. I will do as my job requires, but, if there is a battle that he must face, then I cannot help him with it. A man has his own battles, and he is the only one who can engage in such thing."

"I understand," I replied in a relieved voice. At least the judge was on my side. "But please, tell me why you are doing this for me."

"It has come to my keen observation that only in eight years after the war had passed, had I seen such joy in the emperor demeanor. He must have had you placed on a pedestal, for that matter! My ears have news, of you and Lord Leosandro. If you can shake the emperor's heart, then I believe Her Excellency can shake any man's heart."

As we turned a corner to make it to the berthing dock, an imperial soldier came running towards us from the left corner. "Lord Zargabaath, news from General Aablesk! There are two sky pirates who have berthed their airship in 54-D."

"Sky pirates!" I cried. It must have been Vaan and Penelo. "Take us to them, guard."

"This way my lady," pointed the imperial, as we briskly walked to Hangar 54-D.

My prediction had been correct. Vaan and Penelo stood by their airship, the_ Galbana_, named after a precious Dalmascan flower. The pirate man and woman bowed to me, and at once they had expressed their situation.

"Oh, Lady Catalina, it's horrible!" Penelo exclaimed, as she flailed her arms. "You should have seen the battlefield on the Dalmascan border. Most of Leosandro's fleet was highly concentrated there, but the Dalmascan war generals are pushing on."

"Yeah, all those blasts make Dalmasca look like coronation night at the palace!" Vaan remarked.

"Anyway…" Penelo continued, a bit annoyed. She rolled her eyes at her partner. "We traveled to the Roda border, along with some other of our allies. We were able to gather Rozarrian, Dalmascan and Balfonheim sky pirates. Of course, the Balfonheim-Archadian ones were totally agreeable when it came to this situation. We came here to inform Larsa of this, but we heard he is off to parley with Leosandro."

"Yes, he is," I sighed. "And I am going to go to him."

"We saw his _Carbuncle_ head off to the Jylland warship _Slyph_," Vaan explained. "It's not that far away from the frontlines. The Jylland ships are playing for the Rozarrian side, but this ship is the neutral one. It doesn't fight for any team, is what I'm trying to say! So you'll be alright if you enter. Better not provoke the people though…"

"Something's a bit fishy about this intermission though, I just can't put my finger on it!" Penelo rejoined, as she pounded her fist on her palm. "That Leosandro's up to no good."

"Thank you, Penelo and Vaan, for coming here at such an infernal time," I said, a bit happy. "Please, find my brother and Queen Ashelia and tell them of your visit."

"We're trying to make a plan as quickly as we can," Vaan assured. "You know, our sky pirate guild's been keepin' a close watch on Rozarrian movement for a while now. If we take a certain ambush strategy on them, they'll surely get shocked. The _Galbana_ has a magick paling that keeps it invisible to all eyes, so it's easy for us to slip into field without getting too much attention."

"We must now make our leave, friends," I told them. I looked at Vaan, and then to Penelo. Judge Zargabaath looked half-impatient, and a bit anxious. I bet my disappearance had attracted some attention as a few guards encircled the perimeter like vultures. "Make haste, and may Faram guide you."

The two Dalmascans nodded, and we parted ways. Judge Zargabaath and I made it to a small carrier craft, the _Goblin_, and after a few moments it had become airborne. The judge magister addressed some imperial guards of his leave through the intercom, and we were given the signal to embark. The _Goblin_ hovered a few meters off the ground, and as the gloss air rings spun, we rose higher and higher until the carrier jolted forward, and blasted off into the dawning horizon.

Judge Zargabaath was remarkably skilled at maneuvering an airship. He had told me that he had been in the military for over forty years, and had served as an airship pilot for at least ten. Zargaabath was head of the twelfth fleet of the Archadian army, captain of the Alexander as well. As he flew the ship through a field of suspended ships, my mind started to wonder if all this 'respite' talk was just a set up. Leosandro had given in so easily; it was not like him.

"Their sky stones have grown cold," murmured the judge through his thick, metal mask.

I just nodded, and looked towards a large airship looming in the distance. It was the _Slyph_, a Class A Jylland Interceptor, the largest of its kind. It had a bronze hull, many decks (though none of them seemed to be gun decks), and a great flag perched upon its mizzenmast. The flag was green, showing the neutrality of the airship.

Judge Zargabaath pulled our carrier closer to the _Sylph_, and berthed it upon a dock on the port side of the interceptor. A few, strange cat-like men aroused from the darkness. They were Rev soldiers from Jylland, and wore striking uniforms. They did not question the appearance of Judge Zargbaath's visage, nor did the question the pendant that hung around my neck. The Revs parted back into the darkness, and lit up the way through the bulkhead.

The magister and I walked through the gangways, and at once I had spotted a familiar face when we turned a corner to enter a bigger walk space. It was Zarsuel, the messenger who had declared Leosandro's intentions of war. The man had been roaming the corridors, it had seemed, but there was something about him that was a bit off. He seemed absolutely frightened, like a wet chocobo chick. At once I approached him, and he was frightened at the sight of me.

"Lady Catalina!" Zarsuel exclaimed in a surprised tone.

"I have come here to collect Emperor Larsa," I said curtly. "Where is he?"

Zarsuel did not respond. He faced about, and started running away. Judge Zargabaath had chased him, and I followed the both of them. As the messenger ran faster and faster, even more, he started to scream out in a loud bellow. "Intruders! Intruders!"

The judge stopped in his tracks, and looked around. We were at an intersection between the keel catwalk and the boiler room of the _Sylph_. Many Bangaas, Revs, Seeq and Hume soldiers came out from their hiding places, seemingly expectant of our arrival. They lunged as us with their weapons, eyes filled with apprehension. At once Judge Zargabaath drew his double blades, and slashed at the Jyllanders. A large Seeq with a mace swung at the magister, but the experienced warrior had blocked the blow with his blade, and counter-attacked.

"Run, your Excellency!" yelled the judge magister, as he raised one of his arms to distract the soldiers. There were at least six of the ferocious men. They had fought well, but not well enough, and not wholeheartedly. They were probably hired by Leosandro accomplish such tasks. Leosandro had already violated many of the laws of engagement. How dare he place warriors on a diplomatic ship!

A Bangaa ran towards me like a wild bull. At once I made a run for an opening in between Zargabaath and a Hume soldier. I pushed through the violence, running as fast as I could on my heeled shoes. The Bangaa had pursued me, his footsteps echoed close behind like a roll of thunder. I looked back, and saw the lizard man getting closer. I kicked the air, one foot at a time, and my shoes flew off. It had enabled me to run faster, faster than I had ever imagined. I did not care about the greasy floor, or the cold metal cords that slithered across the floor. I had to escape, and my find my husband.

I turned left into a corridor, and ran into the darkness. But, as I traveled father into the abyssful gangway, I found myself face to face with a dead end. My heart started to pump vigorously. I was trapped. I hit and struck the wall with all my might, but I could not break it. "No…no…oh Faram, no…" I turned about, facing the darkness. I could discern the Bangaa's silhouette within the blackness. Then, the silhouette had split into three. Some of his friends had followed us.

"Seize that woman!" One cried in their rough voices.

The Bangaas ran towards me, and grabbed at my arms. I could not see them so clearly, yet I knew they were grabbing at my body. The foul stench of their unshod Bangaa feet irritated my nose, and their breath smelled like rotten vegetables. They drooled and sprayed, laughing at my helplessness. I tried to kick, and I tried to scream. The Bangaas only gripped tighter, and I could not feel my limbs anymore.

"Unhand her, at once!" cried a voice.

The Bangaas looked back, and were greeted by a healthy length of steel. Judge Zargabaath had pierced one of them vehemently, and swung his blades at the next. One Bangaa had let go of my left arm, and it dropped to the ground quite lifelessly, and numbly, as blood started to circulate within my limb. The other Bangaa, so gruesome and grimy, clutched my right arm and dragged me along as he curbed his rusty sword. I howled in pain as he lifted me up and down like a rag doll.

"_Shock_!" cried the judge. A fusillade of crackling noises shot through the air, and orange circle-sparks burst in front of the Bangaa. The lizard groaned in pain as a burning sensation ran across his side. He dropped me, and I flopped on my belly. I quickly recovered, still feeling a bit of pain on my limbs. The Bangaa had suffered a fatal blow, and fell back in exasperation at the loss of his swordarm. He struggled to get up, but his strength had fled him.

"My lady, are you alright?" Zargabaath asked, as he casted _Cura_ on me. A glorious white light emanated from my body, and all my wounds had been healed as a choir of cherubim echoed through my ears.

"Yes, let us go!" I exclaimed, leaping forward in fear.

We turned many corners, and ran through gangways and etheriums. When we had run across the gundeck, we were spotted by a few of the mechanics, and they had given us chase. There were seven mechanics, plus three mighty seeq guards, all equipped with lethal blades. The judge turned about to face them, and he held his ground, but a plump seeq had tackled him to the ground, and the old judge magister breathed a choking breath. I whirled around in alarm, only to see that the other men surrounded him with their weapons.

"I order you to stop!" I cried, pointing my finger. But then, I remembered that these people were not my people, but the enemy. I had given them commands that they would not obey. The mechanics looked up in slight amusement, and they ganged up towards me. Their greasy, sweaty palms landed on my dress, and I squealed in irritation. "Stop! Stop now, you filthy swine!"

"That ain't no way to treat a lady!" mocked one of the seeqs, as he slobbered and chuckled like a happy pig. "Let the poor woman go! _Snort_!"

"_Snort!_ Heh, don't ya know who this is?" joined the other. "It's the Rozarrian princess!"

"Oh!" the first seeq grunted. "We're mighty sorry, m'lady! We didn't mean to hold yer precious little dress! A stain on the dress, eh? You wan't a stain? _Snort_! I'll gladly give you one!"

The giant seeq edged closer, licking his dirty hands with the yellowish mucus that dripped from his nostrils. "_Snort_! Hah, this'll leave a mark on your sweet lil' dress!" He hooted, snorting uncontrollably.

"Get your filthy hands off of me!" I kicked my unshod feet at the hog's fat belly, but my feet had sunken into his tummy like one would sink into jelly, and quickly rebounded off with a moderate speed. I screamed, as the seeq raised his arm, letting all the gooey, honey-looking mucus worm down his limb.

"Enough of this, already!" cried a voice from behind.

I looked into the distance, and saw it was the messenger, Zarsuel. My heart lightened a bit, seeing another hume aside from myself. I was surrounded by so many strange creatures that I had rarely encountered before. The Rozarrian man raised his shaking hand to signal the humainoids to stop. But the seeqs had just chortled, and snorted, at the sight of a fearful man trying to be strong.

"Oh, if it ain't the scroll boy!" teased one of the large seeqs.

"Take her to Lord Leosandro, and do not do anything to harm her!" Zarsuel cried, as he gripped his satchel with fear. "She will not be any use to him dead."

"Why can't we have a lil' bit of fun first, eh?" asked one of the other seeqs in a short, cocky breath. "I mean, it ain't a common thing to have some _royal_ company to be around, if you know what I mean! _Snort_!"

"Our master would be angry," replied the messenger.

"_Our_ master? Heh, _your_ master, ma' dear boy! Snort!" The larger seeq oinked.

Zarsuel had taken enough courage to stare at the boar with a piercing look. The seeq enlarged his appearance by raising his arms, as a pungent smell emitted from the bottom side of his pits. The seeq's snout twitched, and so did his small beady eyes, hoping to make the Rozarrian man insecure. But Zarsuel had continued to stand his ground, looking straight into the eyes of a fearless beast.

"Gwaah!" The hog oinked. He faced me and breathed on my face as he spoke in a ghastly manner. "Ya know, I would've loved to play longer, princess, but I'm afraid there's some other man looking for you. Better run along now…"

"Chain her up!" called a mechanic from behind me.

I then heard the sound of rattling chains, and I felt cold rings land on my wrists. I tried to wriggle them out of my hands, but I had failed. The fat seeqs had forcefully pushed me along. I peered behind my shoulder, and saw Judge Zargabaath on the floor. He struggled to get up, for a petrifying pain had taken over his body. The mechanics had pulled him up, and tied him onto a protruding post, using thick metal strings.

"Keep on moving!" yelled the Seeq.

We had followed Zarsuel into a large chamber at the back of the ship. It was a large gallery on the stern, and had a massive bay window overlooking a majestic view of the Roda Volcano in the distance. The sky had blended colors with Roda's molten veins; a beautiful mixture of warm and cool colors. In the distance, there were two silhouettes, gleaming in the radiance of the airship's fog lights. One was Larsa, my lord and spouse, and next to him, Leosandro, the man whom I had hated to love.

I could hear their words in the distance, like I would in a dream.

_ "You must understand the circumstance that we are in, my dearest friend!" _

_ "If I undertake your challenge, then will you swear until your dying breath, that you will leave my people, and my wife alone?"_

But the first voice had not answered, and instead Leosandro's silhouette had turned to face me. And with a somewhat joyous expression on his face, and arms wide open, he had said. "Never in my life had I witnessed a flower chasing after a serpent!"


	29. Chapter 29

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys! Airbendergal here!_

_I am totally sorry for another LOOONGG hiatus. Junior year has been killing me lately. I barely have time to do anything outside of school. So anyway, here is the much awaited Chapter 29. It's the battle between Larsa and Leosandro. In the end, who will win? Keep reading to find out. I totally feel so connected to my characters. It's hard to realize that my fanfic is ending. I'm seriously tearing writing this entry..._

_So here's one last hurrah! Before the final ending._

_Thank you, and enjoy!_

_(Reviews would be pleasant!)_

_(Note: There will be an epilogue, so this will not be the last chapter, don't worry!)_

_~Airbendergal_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 29:<strong>

At the sight of Emperor Larsa, my heart started to race. He was in one piece, thank Faram for that! But as I saw him conversing with Leosandro, a sharp pang ran down my gut, and a feeling of stupidity surged through my veins. The two men talked, as any two men would talk, with the utmost finesse and spirit that only two men can construct. There they were, gleaming in the fog lights on the distance bay window overlooking Roda's dense mushroom cloud.

"Emperor Leosandro, a little guest has come to join us!" snorted one of the seeqs.

Both heads had turned. Leosandro's expression became satirical and somewhat arrogant, while my husband's face became shocked and flushed white. He blinked hard, and shook his head in disbelief.

"Catalina, Catalina! What a pleasure it is for you to join us!" Leosandro clapped. "Never in my life have I witnessed a flower chasing a serpent!"

The Jylland slaves pushed me forward, and I fell to my knees, feeling a jolt of pain shoot down my spine. My legs and arms were cold and trembling, and I wished to be back in the safety of Archades. I kneeled there, shaking, out of fear, as Leosandro came closer, and looked down upon me with a conniving glint in his eye. "Do you see this woman, Emperor Larsa?" he shouted back. "She is the reason for all our sufferings!"

Leosandro then placed his hand on my head, and with a sudden swing of his arm, he pulled me up by grabbing at my hair using his supernatural strength. I screamed in agony as the top of my scalp burnt with incessant pain. I called Emperor Larsa's name, and as I did, Leosandro looked back to see my husband's reaction. The Archadian emperor's face was enraged, and at once he shouted out. "Do not harm her!"

"Very well." Leosandro released the tuft of my hair, and I fell to the ground once again, the shackles on my wrists clanged against the metal flooring. He turned to me, and as I saw his face through my teary eyes, he said. "I have given you sufficient time, Catalina. I grow impatient, waiting for your return!"

"L-Leosandro…p-please…" I quivered in a faint voice. "S-stop t-this…"

"I will never stop! Not unless you come back to me, Catalina!" Leosandro cried, throwing out his palm. "We promised each other that we would be together, until the end of time! Do you not remember the words that you uttered to me? They are as fresh in my mind as the memory of a Rozarrian sunset! You once told me that your love for me was as true as the North Star!"

Emperor Larsa ran up to me, but as he came too close, Leosandro had placed a hand in between us. He stood firm in his place. My husband looked towards me with tears in his eyes, and in the most heart-breaking tone of voice he said. "Catalina, I love you…"

Leosandro rolled his eyes. "He disgusts me, Catalina. How could you choose a man such as him? Now, get her up, and make sure that she has her eyes on me for this spectacular endeavor!"

The seeqs pulled me up, even though my legs were weak, and forced my head to the direction of Leosandro. The arrogant lord fingered through his own hair, and breathed a sigh of relief. He cracked his fingers and neck, shook his hands and legs, and drew out a grand sword from his side. I knew the sword he bore; it was _Vigilante_, a great sword that belonged to the long line of Fergaza generals.

"This blade with taste the blood of the Archadian emperor," he whispered into my ear. And he whirled around to face Emperor Larsa. He raised his voice. "A duel, to see the rightful owner of Catalina Margrace! Shall I win, then Catalina shall be mine for the taking, along with Rozarria, and the empire which we have loathed for decades!"

"Why? Why must you do this, Leosandro?" I yelled.

"Why, you ask! I tell you this: the Fergaza family has tried hard and long to be in line for the throne of the Rozarrian Empire. We have been playing a large role in the military stronghold for hundreds of years! And yet, we are nowhere near this seat of power, because of Clan Margrace! Upon the ascent of Emperor Edelmiro IV, if it was not for the generosity and stupidity of my ancestor, we would have not found ourselves in such shameful position! We are supposed to be the ruling family. The Fergazas are meant to be written on history's page! Our deeds shall not be done in vain!"

"So, this is what you see me as?" I replied. "A _possession_? An object of your position? You simply wish to marry me, so that you could make a _mark i_n History?"

"Let us not put it in that manner, please!" Leosandro remarked. "Once I win this duel, then you will come back with me to Ambervale and we shall be wed."

"The only way you will ever take me is when you take my rotting corpse, Leosandro! You are not the man I fell in love with. I thought you as a kind and chivalrous man!"

"You will woe the day you turned your back on me, Catalina, my love," Leosandro said in a grim voice. He turned around and yelled. "Take hold of your steel, Emperor Larsa! For this shall be a fight to the death! Oh, how those other fools could see the look on your face as I swipe my blade clean through your throat."

Emperor Larsa furrowed his brow. With heart pounding swiftly, Larsa drew his long, sharp blade, the _Joyeuse_, the sword which had served well for many years. My lord cleared his throat a bit, and found voice above the fear that constricted his throat. "You shall be bound to your oath."

"I am a man of my word, Emperor Larsa, I assure you!" Leosandro laughed, as he cut his blade swiftly through the air before him. _Vigilante_ whistled a whistle of death. It shrieked and hissed as the military man made continuous cuts through the air. "I have fulfilled the promise I made Catalina: that I would wage war should she not return to my arms! Now, come at me!"

The first image that came into my mind as I saw Leosandro and Larsa together was the image of blood all over the walls and floor, and of Emperor Larsa on the ground, weak and dying. I knew Larsa could not stand a chance against Leosandro. Emperor Larsa was a pacifist, an inexperienced soldier and Leosandro was a skilled military man. At the sound of shrieking blades, I cried out in a loud voice. "STOP! STOP! Leosandro, do not hurt him!"

But the men did not heed me. Larsa and Leosandro had dueled, and as how a serpent battles a lion, they fought. Larsa lunged forward with a piercing blow, but Leosandro had deflected it and parried. Leosandro was swift and agile as a viper; his blocks were as quick as his blows. He played around with blade so nimbly that he was able to find holes between the emperor's attacks. Larsa had been trained to handle his blade with a limited set of rules, that much was certain, for his attacks were elementary and so practiced. Everything that Larsa knew, Leosandro knew better. Leosandro had a freestyle technique, and through his experience in the military he had gained a consciousness of enemy's moves.

_Vigilante_ and _Joyeuse_ met once again, and at such meeting, the strength of their wielders created sparks of friction that shot down the sides of their blades and rebounded of the floor. _Vigilante _pushed forward, yet _Joyeuse _remained resolute. Larsa's blade began to shake. Leosandro laughed, and said. "This is Archadia's emperor? A man who cannot wield a blade! Hah! Your forefathers must have been shamed!"

With those words Larsa's focus was interrupted, and his eyes twitched a bit. Affected by these words, his sword began to bend towards him, and Leosandro pressed on. With a swift shift in stance, Larsa managed to twist around and send Leosandro stumbling forward. But as he did, Leosandro curled about and swung his sword as his body followed round like a ripple. _Vigilante's _blade reached through Emperor Larsa's thigh and cut it. A blood splotch spilled out onto his tights. The emperor grunted, and grabbed hold of his injured limb. Leosandro fell back and hit the floor and skid.

"Larsa, no!" I cried. I tried to run for him.

"No, Catalina—ugh—do not come close!" Larsa reached out his hand to signal me.

_ Joyeuse_ fell to the ground with a loud echoing _clang_. Larsa managed to recover and get up, but his thigh was oozing with a clean cut of red. He limped a bit as he moved to reach for his blade, but Leosandro was already up and running towards the Archadian. Larsa nabbed his _Joyeuse_ right on time; and _Vigilante_ came to greet it. With a successive round of swings, Leosandro and Larsa were both back on their feet. Larsa arched his sword towards Leosandro's side, and the edge of his _Joyeuse_ struck him, superficially, but had left a shallow cut on his waist. Leosandro did not make a sound; he was not affected with such wound.

"You are so much more interesting than I have imagined, Emperor Larsa!" Leosandro said with ease. "Surely, you must have been trained better than this. You are an emperor, are you not? Why do you even hesitate to kill me? Do you not want to save your country? Are you not angry at me? Come! Strike harder! This is child's play!"

"One must never use anger to fight. It is only another way to die," Larsa replied. "I fight for my people, and Catalina. 'Those who live by the sword, die by the sword', is a saying. Have you not heard of it?"

"Those who die by the sword, die by me, I say!" Leosandro retorted, as he continued to swing even harder. "You, Emperor Larsa, have taken away from me the only thing that I had. Catalina was supposed to be mine, and mine alone!"

Larsa parried and counterstriked. The blades were against each other again. "She may be yours to have, but she is not yours to love."

As _Vigilante _and _Joyeuse_ rang hallow through the chamber, Leosandro raised his leg and kicked Larsa in the abdomen. The emperor did not see the attack coming; he was hit hard and was tossed into the air like a rag doll. He fell on his back, and with a cracking sound, I knew it was over. Leosandro edged towards him, slowly, and with a grim smile he cherished the sound of Emperor Larsa gasping for air.

Leosandro cackled. "I guess it is true, then: that Emperor Larsa was nothing like his predecessors. Emperor Larsa was a coward, and a fool. And stories will be told of the day that he died by the _Vigilante_ of Emperor Leosandro Fergaza."

My husband could not stand. He was weak and trembling, and he could only crawl, like a vermin could, towards the edge of the stern catwalk. The winds picked up beneath the airship, blowing a warm Roda breeze through the airshafts of the ship. Leosandro kicked him successively in the face, and with each boot Emperor Larsa drew closer to Faram's bossom. Larsa's face was bloody and deformed as a chimera, while Leosandro, the glorious Leosandro had nothing but a scratch on his waist.

"Leosandro, do not kill him! Please, I beg of you! Stop it! Stop!" I yelled to the top of my lungs. I ran towards them, my limbs still weak. "I will come with you! Please! Do not hurt him anymore! We shall go back to Rozarria, and I will marry you!"

The Rozarrian man's eyes lit up. He held his blade up high, and _Vigilante_ glimmered in the distant light. Leosandro was about to strike his final blow, but he had aborted such an idea at the thought of me returning to him. Leosandro lowered his sword and placed it on his side. He looked evilly at my husband, and spat on him, saying. "Today, stories will be told…"

My husband rose up his bloody arm, and with a struggling breath, he muttered. " _F-flare…_"

Suddenly, brilliant golden light gathered around Emperor Larsa, and formed into a psychedelic orb, and with a blink of an eye it shot across the air like a cannonball, and hit Leosandro, sweeping him off his feet. The magic burned his chest into a crisp, and sent his large figure skimming across the catwalk, towards the edge of the railing. Leosandro moaned in pain, and the sound of sizzling emitted from his bodice. Leosandro tried to get back onto his feet and reach for _Vigilante_, but somehow, he saw his blade in another person's hand. It was Emperor Larsa, in all his ingloriousness, standing high above Leosandro, holding both _Vigilante _and _Joyeuse_ in his hands.

I was shocked to see that Larsa was up on his feet. He had gathered vigor, and even perhaps divine intervention. Faram had blessed him with some strength to carry on.

"Leosandro Fergaza," said Emperor Larsa in a struggling voice. "You are responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent lives-all at the cost of your attempt to find power on the throne…" And the lion raised _Joyeuse _higher and higher still, and its blade called to him with an echoing tingle. There was a fire burning in his eyes, telling me _Joyeuse_ had wanted to avenge all those who had died.

"I…was wrong…about you…Emperor Larsa," coughed Leosandro. His petrified body was almost a charred black. "You…are like your ancestors…all…those Archadian emperors…They all…are unwavering…to resolve problems…with…blood…" And even towards the last of his breaths, he still managed to pull on a deviant smile.

My husband scowled, and with fire burning in his eyes he lifted up _Vigilante_ until its tip could no longer glimmer in the radiance of the lights. "You shall die by your own blade…" Larsa said in a cold voice. And like a mighty titan he pierced it to the ground with awesome force that it bit into the metal floor. I flinched at the sound of what seemed to be a cracking noise. I knew that it would be the sound of shattering bones.

But as I opened my eyes, Leosandro was still breathing. He lay still as a stone on the ground. And _Vigilante_ stood parallel at his feet, shivering at the emperor's blow. The wind picked up beneath the airship, sending another wave of hot Rodan breeze. Leosandro blinked in disbelief, and sent out a bloody cough as the cracks beneath his chest began to grow like the molten veins of the Feol Warren.

"But you shall not die today," the emperor continued, and looked down at him with empathy. "Flee, take flight, and never return to your homeland. Leosandro Fergaza, remember the day when an Archadian spared your life, and tell your children, and your children's children that you were a hero. But never in your life should you return to Rozarria. Forget all your family and friends, forget Catalina. And on your living bones, you must swear to bury your dead."

Leosandro took a deep, chalky sigh.

The emperor Larsa took his sword and put it abreast.

I sighed a sigh of relief, and my heart began to flutter. "Larsa! My lord!" I ran towards him, my arms wide open. I saw his figure in the distance: Larsa's figure turned about to face me, and the rough silhouette of his face illustrated a smile. My heart jumped with joy at the sight of my love!

But suddenly, Leosandro cried out. "If I cannot have her, then no one can!"

Suddenly, the silhouette of a deformed Leosandro lunged towards the emperor's. Larsa's figure struggled, but the shadow of the Rozarrian man threw itself into the sky below, and dragged my lord along brutally like how a sidewinder drags its prey across the dunes of the Dalmascan sand. Emperor Larsa fell to his feet, and slid on his back across the path of the catwalk as if it was some kind of horizontal slide. Larsa twisted to his side, and tried to catch the poles of the railings, but he was moving too fast. He had gone out of sight.

"NO!" I bawled with teary eyes.

I ran to the edge of the catwalk, and peered down into the shifting gray clouds below. I quickly scanned the suspended scaffoldings on the airship's hull, and for a second I thought I had lost both of the men forever, but as I heard the sound of grunts, I quickly bent my whole body over to look deeper into the sky. There, a few meters below me, was Larsa and Leosandro, hanging by the edge of a protruding steel bar.

"Larsa!"

The emperor looked up at me with a painful expression. Leosandro had been clutching at his arm, desperately trying to knock him off into the black abyss. But Leosandro was weak, dying, and slipping. Moments later he had stopped exchanging desperate blows, and he shed a tear. Leosandro became a monster, but he learned to become human in the end. The Rozarrian man looked up to Emperor Larsa, and with a dying breath he sighed. "Tell them, emperor…of how I was a hero…"

"Leosandro, I pray you shan't close your eyes!"

"It is over, Emperor. What I have fought for, was worth the war, do you not agree? Now they shall echo our name. They shall…tell tales of me…of our family…and of how you…you…took her…"

"Leosandro, please, grab hold of my arm…tighter!"

"Catalina…she was always mine…"

Leosandro closed his eyes, and his body had lost all connection to the world.

"Leosandro!" Larsa cried, as his opponent's grip had lost all force. Leosandro's body tumbled in a downward spiral into the sky, and sooner was engulfed by the clouds below. Larsa blinked hard, and with a sour and somewhat agonizing face he reached for the bars above him to make his way back to the catwalk overhead.

"Larsa, my hand!" I exclaimed as I extended my arm in front of him. My husband swung his hand upwards and took hold of my wrist. I used both of my hands, and half of my strength to haul him up. Emperor Larsa took hold of the railing and pulled himself half-way, and he managed to get back onto the catwalk.

"Catalina…" he said in a sad, shaking tone. "Leosandro, he-"

"Leosandro is gone, he had chosen the path he walked," I told Larsa. I could see the misery in his eyes. I knew he felt responsible for the death of Leosandro. "It is not your fault; it was he who killed himself, from the moment he decided to give into the desire of power. You are not to blame for his loss. What matters now is that you are still breathing; that you are still within my reach."

"I solemnly swore to you, Catalina, I would never leave your side."

My heart started to flutter. I wrapped my arms around Emperor Larsa's neck, bent towards him and kissed him full on the lips. He warmly embraced me as we shared the kiss, and after we parted lips he had pecked my forehead, stroking my head sensitively. "Catalina, I love you."

"I love you too," I replied in the most sincere and heartfelt voice I had ever manifested.

"Now come," Emperor Larsa said. "We must make our leave. We shall tell the others of Lord Leosandro Fergaza."

I was deeply moved. I was proud to be his empress. I was proud to have witnessed a man who fought for his people, and for his loved ones. Emperor Larsa was a lion, brave and admirable, yet he cared deeply for all, even for a serpent like Leosandro. People might say that it was senseless for a lion to fight for a rose, a small flower that would someday wither. But as roses must wither, lions must die, so it was only essential that the lion fought for the rose while he still could, so that one day he may see it bloom once again.


	30. Chapter 30 Epilogue

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys, this is Airbendergal!_

_This is the final chapter of The Lion and the Rose._

_I seriously have no words to express the beauty of this ending. I seriously cried an ocean writing it._

_Also, I have no words to express my thanks to everyone who has accompanied Catalina on her journey. I want to give a big "THANK YOU!" to all those who have been religiously reading through this fanfiction, and who have been supporting The Lion and The Rose through their heart-warming comments, critiques, and even fan-art. You guys are really the people who have brought this story to life. You guys are the inspiration to my story! Our characters have grown so much, that even I have been so attached to them. Ending this story was really hard, but all stories must come to an end._

_Alas, we have come to the final leg of our journey. And I proudly want to declare, that it's been one hell of an awesome journey._

_This is Airbendergal, signing out. _

_:)_

* * *

><p><strong>EPILOGUE<strong>

**Chapter 30:**

Once in the past, my brother, Al-Cid told me that the key to obtaining true happiness is doing what is right.

It was also, once in the past, when I had decided to heed his advice.

When I was seventeen years old, under the order of my father and lord, Emperor Edelmiro XI, I had entered a political marriage with the Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor, the ruler of the mighty Archadian Empire. I left my homeland half-heartedly, for I had to leave my past lover, Lord Leosandro Fergaza, along with Rozarria. Angered by my actions, the brilliant Leosandro Fergaza staged a series of relentless guerilla assaults upon Archadia's airspace, using his Jyllander allies as a front. As I began to love Emperor Larsa, I started to learn how to hate Leosandro, and sooner his image in my head was a shattered as broken glass. The Leosandro that I had once loved was gone like the wind. As time passed, I continued to learn how to love the man I was to marry. Even more frustrated by his failed attempts to win me back, Leosandro Fergaza launched a full-scale attack on the Dalmascan- Rozarrian border in order to penetrate into Archadian territory. Thousands of men died fighting for, what had seemed to be, a war of the hearts. The Rozarrian lord had revealed all his actions were done for his family's name: that they needed glory for all their unsung heroisms. Hours later, the Rozarrian fronts had been intercepted by a group of Margrace loyalists, Rozarrian war generals and a few sky pirate groups…and in the end, Leosandro had been counted as one of the thousands of people who had perished in the torrent of greed.

With this somewhat dreadful conclusion, I bet most of you are wondering whether or not I was able to achieve true happiness in the end. And the answer is definitely a big YES.

Shortly after the series of tragic events between the Archadian and Rozarrian Empire, I was able to have a beautiful wedding with my husband, Emperor Larsa. It was not exactly the perfect wedding I had dreamed about when I was a young girl, but it was the most beautiful memory I had kept nevertheless. The royal wedding happened in Archadia's Central Cathedral, one of the largest and most beautiful pieces of Kiltian architecture in the world. The magnificent cathedral was adorned with white roses, and a great multitude of doves in bronze cages decorated on every vine-covered pillar and between rust-colored archways. I walked down the aisle in a flowing white gown and a veil over my head. The gown was very simple, to be truthful, but it was the one I had always imagined it to be. The best part about it was that my family had been there, including my father, who had been found safely in captivity off the coast of Rozarria. My brother, Al-Cid had taken the place of my father, doing the duty of walking me down the aisle. And as we strode down the golden carpet, passing rows of turning heads, I gave no attention to the crowd, but only to the figure in the distance. It was my husband, Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor, in a most spectacular imperial garb, adorned with his golden crown and sash. My heart leapt in excitement, to meet my husband at the dais. I remembered the day I had first laid my eyes on him: I, too, had been walking down an aisle with my brother, and he had brought me to meet my lord. I was afraid of Emperor Larsa back then, but I came to learn how to love him. As we recited our vows, I found each word he pronounced a step towards perfect union, and as Larsa used his most sincere and heartfelt voice, I too used mine, and I promised to be there for him, in sickness and in health, 'til death do us part.

"…_and in the presence of these holy relics, I pronounce you man and wife from this time forth. May the blessings of the gods light your path for all of eternity. Faram…_"

Like molten notes, the Gran Kiltias said these very words, and they echoed across the hallowed halls of the cathedral. My spirit began to fly, and in my heart I felt a fire, burning like a furnace upon Blackfrost's cold nights. And as the grand master of all the acolytes raised his holy staff, and the smoke incense started to stand and dance, I bent by body closer to my husband and lord, and we shared in a sincere, true love's kiss. The audience clapped, as a choir of cherubim with rosy cheeks (or rather, the children from the Youth Foundation of Lady Arnoux) began to sing. The court musicians began to play a glorious symphony. The sound of the winds, the strings and the percussion were all in perfect tune! Oh, it was as if I was the main actress in a theatre play! The Gran Kiltias had blessed us with the incenses once more before drawing out a grandiose diadem, one that looked much looked like the emperor's, but had a feminine touch: a large red jewel on the center of the crown.

Emperor Larsa took hold of the diadem, and said, "My wife and my lady, Catalina Solidor, do you agree to take upon the duties of Empress of Archadia?"

"I do, my husband and my lord, Larsa Solidor, choose to become Empress of Archadia, and I will fulfill all the duties required of me," I replied, as Larsa fixed the diadem upon my head, and my eyes began to get watery. "But above all, I have chosen to become your wife, your love, and I will fulfill all the duties—endure all the joys and pains-that is required of me."

"This duty of yours you have accepted," my husband said with a warm smile. Emperor Larsa faced the audience, held my hand and raised it up high. "Long live the Empress Catalina!"

"Long live Empress Catalina! Long live!" The people of Archadia echoed.

Ever since then I had become the Empress of Archadia, and I had ruled beside my spouse, the Emperor Larsa Solidor. While we had been ruling the empire's vast expanse, far across the east, Rozarria had picked up of what was left from Leosandro's tyranny. My father, Edelmiro XI continued to be emperor, for about three more years when unexpectedly, had passed away in his sleep. Therefore, my brother, Al-Cid Margrace had become the eleventh emperor of Rozarria. His first mission, as emperor, was to give proper homage to all those who had suffered in the last war. Al-Cid had given tribute to all the late Rozarrians, Jyllanders and Archadians who had fought a battle of greed, and whose lives were all in vain. His second mission was to deal with the Fergaza family. His plan was not to imprison them, or to mock them, but instead give them a great position in the empire: the very wish that Leosandro had willed. The Fergaza family had been promoted to the imperial elites. Leosandro's two brothers had been given jobs as the one of the head war generals and the espionage division. And, as for the late Leosandro, he was given a proper burial with honors, in order to pay proper respect to him. The people of Rozarria had always remembered him as the villain, but secretly in my heart he was always my past lover.

As the years passed, Archadia and Rozarria had grown to be great allies, as my father had once predicted in the past. Because of my marriage with Emperor Larsa, the two empires were able to foster peace, and Rozarrians and Archadians could freely walk hand-in-hand. I continued to resume my duties as empress for the years that came. Because I was empress, I now had positions in the Imperial Counsel and the parliament, and I was able to pass many good-willed bills. During the days, the workload varied, and I had more of my free time consumed with social gatherings. I was the ambassador of Goodwill and Peace, and became a shining star within Archadia's ideology of the Rozarrian Empire. The Archadians learned to love Rozarria, and vice versa. My husband and I would travel Ivalice for diplomatic meetings and such, and most of the time we would tire ourselves out.

The most important job of my life however, was my job as a wife and as a mother. As a wife, I had to endure the joys and pains of being the emperor's wife. The days were hard, and sometimes the nights were even harder. Sometimes I would have slept alone, for my dearest Emperor Larsa had been working hard on his documents, and sometimes I would have seen my husband gamble and make merry with his other lordly friends. Occasionally, Larsa I would come to a disagreement, and I was usually the one who would end up shouting, but later we would repent and go back to being ourselves. We both loved each other unconditionally, that was for certain. As for being a mother…that was quite a tricky job! We had three children: two sons and a daughter, and they were the most precious gifts that Faram had given us. As a mother, I had to balance my work with my family. I learned the same things my mother had learned raising her seven children. It took great patience to be a mother, but its reward was something completely priceless.

One night, my children had asked me about Leosandro. They told me that he was one of the evilest men that had ever lived on the face of the planet. I laughed and shook my head, and I kissed their foreheads one by one, and told them that what everyone was saying about Lord Leosandro Fergaza was a lie. I told them that in truth, Leosandro Fergaza was a man in love, and his only desire was to win back what was rightfully his. Because of that my daughter asked me if it was right to fight for what you love. I smiled back at her and replied…

"Once in the past, I fought for my love, for Leosandro. But, I was torn between the love for him, and for what was right. Later, I chose what was right, and then I met your father…and I began to fight for him. There are many things you have to fight for, my child, but you must never forget who you are. Just remember my story…"

My name is Catalina Solidor, and I was many things.

I was a daughter to my father, a sibling to my four sisters and two brothers, a friend to many friends, a master of a Rozarrian sheepdog, the empress of Archadia, the wife of Emperor Larsa Solidor, and the mother of three beautiful children…

…but most of all, I was, and always will be a princess of the Rozarrian Empire.


End file.
